CBCRM community responds to the Petron/Solar 1 Oil Spill

The CBCRM Resource Center, Oxfam Great Britain, UP College of Social Work and Community Development (UPCSWCD), NGOs for Fisheries Reform (NFR), and the Kilusang Mangingisda led other CBCRM practitioners and civil society groups recently in conducting a round table discussion on the Petron/Solar 1 oil spill last 8 September 2006 at the UPCSWCD Audio-Visual Room. The said activity aimed to facilitate the sharing of information on the situation in Guimaras and other affected areas, and on the initiatives being undertaken by different groups. Around 40 individuals from various sectors working on CBCRM and the coastal environment attended the discussion.

Lan Mercado, Country Programme Manager of Oxfam Great Britain in the Philippines, presented the findings of Oxfam's initial field visits and impact assessment during the forum. According to her, 28 of the 40 barangays in Guimaras were affected by the oil spill. Other coastal areas in the neighboring provinces of Iloilo, Negros Occidental and Cebu were also in danger of contamination. Based on the latest media report, the total number of affected families has reached 6,156. "While Oxfam did not classify the situation as an emergency or a disaster, we are considering this incident as an economic shock to the affected communities since the people's livelihoods have been severely disrupted, " clarified Mercado. "From being independent producers, many of the fishers in the affected barangays have now become irregular labourers with insecure employment, most of them taking part in Petron's clean up activities at the moment, " added Mercado.

Apart from Mercado, other resource persons during the discussions included Sev Salmo of the CBCRM RC Fellows and Atty. Nelia Lagura of Tanggol Kalikasan. Salmo shared the results of a previous local study on the effect of an oil spill on coastal ecosystems, particularly on mangrove areas. Atty. Lagura talked on the legal accountabilities arising from the recent oil spill. After the resource persons' inputs, representatives from participating organizations shared updates on their immediate responses and on-going initiatives to address the situation in Guimaras. Among the organizations who reported on their activities were NFR, Kilusang Mangingisda, CODE-NGO, Oxfam GB, CBCRM Resource Center, and Haribon Foundation. A brief open forum followed the sharing. The different groups agreed to continue exchanging information on each other's initiatives in Guimaras and support efforts aimed at long-term rehabilitation. A committee was formed to focus on various areas, including the filing of legal cases for indemnification of the affected communities, facilitating livelihood and humanitarian work, and promoting community-based coastal resource management. go back to CBNRM LC homepage