SaveGuimaras

(By Nestor P. Burgos Jr for the Inquirer, also published at the Project Sunrise website) ILOILO CITY, Philippines — Officials of Guimaras Island are calling on President Macapagal-Arroyo to intervene in the release of the P800-million fund intended for rehabilitation and livelihood programs for areas and residents that suffered from the Petron oil spill.

Guimaras Gov. JC Rahman Nava said none of the proposed programs and projects has been implemented, six months after the spill hit the island, because the funds have not been released.

The funds, contained in the supplemental budget passed last year by Congress, was intended to finance the rehabilitation of damaged marine resources and for livelihood projects for residents who were displaced by the oil spill.

The fund would also finance long-term research and monitoring of the impact of oil spills on the environment and human health.

The President had promised to support the restoration efforts last year, shortly after she declared a national calamity after the MT Solar I, which was carrying over 2 million liters of bunker fuel for Petron Corp. from Bataan to Zamboanga, sank in stormy seas off Guimaras on Aug. 11. (Continue reading here.)

Please tell us about yourself. Your job title says that you are the provincial supervising planner for the island of Guimaras, please tell us a little bit more about what you do.

I grew up in Guimaras and have been with the provincial government for the last 17 years. When Guimaras was still a sub-province of Iloilo [city] in served as an engineering assistant at the provincial engineer’s office. When Guimaras became a full-fledged province in 1992, I was transferred to the Provincial Planning and Development Office as a Senior Planner. As such, I have seen how Guimaras had transformed from a sleepy island into a promising tourism destination.  My present position as a Supervising Planner is tasked with planning and programming functions in the province. As the head of the Plans and Programs unit, I take the lead in the formulation of provincial plans: land use and medium term provincial development plans. I also serve as the coordinator for the Canada-Philippines Partnership Program which we have been implementing for over 10 years already in partnership with the [non-profit organization] Canadian Urban Institute.  We were already on the final stages of the Guimaras Comprehensive Land Use Plan when the oil spill happened.

(Continue reading here http://www.saveguimaras.com/blog/?p=556)

According to the Environmental Justice
report published at their website,
nature´s defense against tsunamis are
mangroves. To quote:
“The role of mangroves in preventing
coastal erosion and protecting against
typhoons, cyclones and hurricanes, is
well documented. The trees both shield
the land from wind and trap sediments
in their roots, maintaining a shallow
slope on the seabed that absorbs the
energy of tidal surges. In addition,
analytical models, have shown that
mangroves can buffer coastlines during
TSUNAMI EVENTS. Mangrove forests
reduce the impact of tsunamis by
reducing both the height and the
velocity of the incoming waves and by
distributing water among the canals
and creeks of the mangroves, thus
decreasing the level of inundation.”
http://www.saveguimaras.com/blog/?p=539

Last November, we introduced you to the avatar we´ve created at SecondLife which we aptly named Save Guimaras Wind. For the sake of those who haven´t heard of Second Life, please check their website here. Second Life is a virtual world that mimics RL (Real Life).
Techsoup.org, the non-profit organization has created their residence there (the US Congress and Reuters are there too!). Weekly, our avatar Save Guimaras meets up with other Techsoup members. We´ve met some amazing people: heads of non profit organizations such as Network for Good, Alzheimer´s Society for Ontario Canada, HopeLab, and more. Because of our avatar name, some have been very interested to learn about what happened in Guimaras.
We´ve volunteered for the launch party of a NonProfit Commons (a separate island space) which is a Techsoup project in cooperation
(Continue to read here http://www.saveguimaras.com/blog/?p=530)

What other environmental reforms would you make or promote?

Media independence from corporate influence to educate people on problems free of corporate bias and propaganda.

Election process that levels playing field so candidates don’t have to be rich to run.

Voting process that ensures votes can be validated (paper trail for electronic machines).

Constitutional amendments (federal and state) to define "person" as individuals, NOT corporations.

Constitutional amendments that put people’s rights BEFORE property rights.
Adoption of Kyoto Protocol by U.S.

Removing subsidies for fossil fuels and increasing subsidies to promote alternatives (not nuclear).

(more of the interview here http://www.saveguimaras.com/blog/?p=537

Please read the interview http://www.saveguimaras.com/blog/?p=535

In 1989, the world witnessed one of the worst environmental disasters in history: the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill where more than 30 million gallons of crude oil was spilled affecting the community and livelihood of the people of  Prince William Sound.

I interviewed Dr.. Riki Ott, independent environmental researcher, oil expert, marine biologist and toxicologist who happened to be a witness at the time of disaster, when she was a commercial salmon fisherman in Cordova, Alaska.

She has written a book entitled “Sound, Truth and Corporate Myth$: The Legacy of Exxon Valdez,” where she wrote about the toxicity of oil particularly of PAHs or polycylic aromatic hydrocarbons in parts per billion which can endanger human health and the environment.

Visit www.saveguimaras.com for more updates. ILOILO City: The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) supports the call of the residents in Nueva Valencia, Guimaras, to boycott the products of Petron Corp. whose chartered oil tanker sank in August last year, causing an oil spill.

In an endorsement letter dated January 2, Jaro Archbishop Angel Lagdameo, the CBCP president, sympathized with the residents who are demanding for a just restitution from Petron.

The Jaro Archdiocesan Social Action Center (Jasac) wants to make the boycott call a nationwide campaign.

Jasac director Msgr. Meliton Oso said the boycott manifesto had been faxed to all the dioceses in Western Visayas and to the national office of the social action center to be circulated in other dioceses and 97 prelatures in the country. http://www.yehey.com/news/Article.aspx?id=146893

Pictures from Arnold Almacen. Check this video here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jj5ZK1-2qIE or go to www.saveguimaras.com

SYOKOY
Documentary / DV / 74 mins. /Hiligaynon with English Subtitles
Director: Ray Defante Gibraltar
Writer: J.I.E. Teodoro
DOP: Oscar M. Nava
Hermit Crab Productions

Director’s Statement:
Giving voice to the voiceless victims of the Petron Oil Spill in Guimaras Island, Philippines, is the core of this documentary.

On a stormy day of August 11, 2006, MT Solar 1, carrying more or less two million liters of Petron’s bunker oil, sunk near Guimaras Island, Philippines.

Barely three months after the MT Solar 1 sunk and wreaked havoc in some areas of Guimaras, media attention has been waning. Local and national tri-media organizations have been actively reporting live from Guimaras during the first two weeks or so of the oil spill. But now, media has been relatively silent.

With this bleak scene of media silence, an independent documentary is needed. A documentary that will tackle the aftermath of the oil spill—how it affected and continue to affect lives of innocent and hardworking fisher folks reduced to acute poverty.

The central metaphor of this documentary is a SYOKOY,  a sea creature akin to a merman but is a lot smaller and uglier—with scales all over the body, sharp finger nails, and a serrated dorsal fin running on its spinal column.

The fluid weaving of the syokoy tale, an artistic homage to the sea, and the individual stories of oil spill victims make this documentary an eye opener to the sad and tragic effects of abusing the environment.

The Guimaras disaster may seem to be a minor tragedy compared to other oil spills around the world. But even a quarter of a million liters of bunker oil had a devastating effect on the lives of the people of Guimaras and its neighboring islands not to mention the habitat and lives of sea creatures victimized by the oil spill.

It is still a problem waiting an immediate and satisfactory solution. A SYOKOY  CRYING for JUSTICE.

Synopsis:
The story revolves around a true tale told by a fisherman in the island of Naoway, about a syokoy, widely perceived as a malevolent creature of the sea, that serves as a metaphor representing the victims of the destructive exploitation of the sea.

This story of the firsherman’s encounter of the syokoy when he was still a 10 year old boy is juxtaposed with the artist’s ritual, an offertory to the spirit dwellers of the sea performed in a fishpen in the middle of the sea. The film demystify syokoy from a powerful evil being into an ordinary sea creature that is ready to defend the integrity and beauty of its natural habitat.

JUSTICE TO VICTIMS OF PETRON / SOLAR 1 OIL SPILL!

We, the people of Nueva Valencia, Guimaras, forge our solidarity to urgently demand the total clean up, rehabilitation and recovery of our island. Almost five months after the August 11, 2006 Petron / MT Solar 1 Oil Spill - bunker oil still pollutes our shores and mangrove areas, devastates our sources of livelihood, and exposes us to the long-term effects of carcinogenic and other highly toxic compounds. We cannot remain voiceless and uninvolved.

We cannot tolerate the lies of PETRON: that our shores is now 100% clean, that they are not accountable of their own negligence in ensuring seaworthy contracted carriers, that the bunker fuel is not volatile and toxic; that the spraying of dispersants is not harmful; and that there is no danger of implosion of the sunken oil tanker. PETRON’s denial of responsibility and portraying Good Samaritan in this tragedy is gross deception and condemnable!

We cannot continue and allow others to suffer from the consequences of the government agencies’ inability to prevent oil spill disasters and downright lack of immediate and appropriate responses to similar tragedies. This is the third major oil spill in Western Visayas in less than a year and the worst in the country’s history.

We cannot ignore the bitter lessons of this disaster and the improper and calamitous responses when we allowed ourselves to be sidelined in the crucial planning and decision-making processes.

We assert our communities’ rights to seek redress and punitive measures against all liable parties. This call to action is anchored on our burning desire to institute deterrent measures to avert similar tragedies and safeguard our people’s natural resources and lives.

Destruction of our marine habitats and damaged fishing and tourism areas resulted to unprecedented loss of income for the people and the local government units. The previously vibrant self-reliant economy drastically transformed to relief dependency. This caused distressing psychosocial costs like, higher dropouts of schoolchildren and gravely affected community self- esteem.

With limited potable water sources and food supplies, we, people of Nueva Valencia, are taking grave risks in consuming contaminated water, mollusks and crustaceans.

PETRON is running away from its obligations of totally cleaning Guimaras. Huge volume of oil is still buried in the shores of Barangays San Roque, Lucmayan, San Antonio, Tando, Lapaz, Cabalagnan and Guiwanon with patches of mangroves already dying in said areas.

The scientific conference funded by PETRON last November 23-24, 2006 held at the Iloilo Grand Hotel, was supposed to draw long term rehabilitation and recovery plans but fell short in addressing the prime concerns of the people for the following:
- resources for alternative livelihood,
- means of monitoring and supporting persons heavily exposed to toxic fumes,
- methods and approaches for thorough and total clean-up,  and
- immediate retrieval of the remaining bunker oil in the MT Solar 1.

Deterrent measures and punitive actions against the culprits were not discussed in the conference and worse, the residents of the affected municipalities, with Nueva Valencia as the hardest hit, were not given a chance to participate.

We strongly condemn PETRON’s insensitive stand in disowning social and moral responsibility for the disaster while hiding under the cloaks of the Protection and Indemnity (P&I) Club and the International Oil Pollution Compensation (IOPC) Fund. The long overdue promised compensation for individual claims ranging from P2,000 to P30,000 is a pittance compared to the economic loss and damages to properties and the environment.

The government instead of protecting its people and be responsible for the full relief, rehabilitation and recovery services is relying more on PETRON’s initiative. The much vaunted government calamity assistance has yet to be released. For the three times that the President of the Philippines visited Guimaras since the tragedy, she never provided any opportunity to hear directly from the Guimarasnons.

Now that we have bonded together our collective strength, we demand:
1. That government should execute punitive actions and enforce regulations and policies to compel liability of all those responsible for the tragedy.
2. That PETRON should be fully accountable and must make a thorough clean up of the oil sludge in a manner acceptable not only to the ‘world of science’ but most importantly to the affected people of Guimaras and nearby provinces;
3. That IOPC Fund must provide just compensation to the victims and immediately release the funds in the Province of Guimaras; and
4. That the remaining bunker fuel in the MT Solar 1 must be retrieved immediately.

We strongly declare a BOYCOTT TO ALL PETRON PRODUCTS and call on our fellow citizens to join us in this worthy cause, until JUSTICE IS SERVED!