TWO years after a devastating oil spill, the provincial government of Guimaras is formally forging ties with the Partnership for Environmental Management for Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA) for integrated coastal management.
PEMSEA focuses on integrated coastal management initiatives, said Gov. Felipe Hilan Nava.
He considered the partnership with PEMSEA as “timely.”
By Edgar Manaay
bareFACTS, The Daily Guardian
TWO YEARS have lapsed since August 11, 2006 when Motor Tanker Solar I sank off the coast of Nueva Valencia, Guimaras and triggered the worst oil spill in the country.
The tanker settled 2,000 ft. in the sea bottom where water pressure is at 65 tons/sq.ft. and the temperature at 15 degrees centigrade.
M/T Solar I was chartered by Petron Corporation to deliver two million liters of bunker fuel oil from Petron Bataan Refinery to a power plant in Iligan when it sank in the waters off Guimaras amidst bad weather.
GUIMARAS officials have scored the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) for implementing oil spill rehabilitation projects in areas that were not affected by the oil spill.
Guimaras Gov. Felipe Nava said the DENR is implementing livelihood projects using rehabilitation funds even in communities that were hardly affected by the August 11, 2006 oil spill.
“I’m not contented with what’s happening. We are in the dark and we don’t know if this are beneficial to the people of Guimaras. I think we should correct this (because) we are wasting precious money,” Nava said yesterday during a presentation of updates on the rehabilitation programs marking the second anniversary of the oil spill.
TWO years after a massive oil spill hit this island-province, officials and experts said the island is showing recovery and coping from the impact of the calamity.
But rehabilitation efforts have been stalled by the non-release of around P150 million intended for development programs.
THE Commission on Audit (COA) in a verification made on last year’s financial transactions of the Iloilo Provincial Government affirmed questionable handling of the Tupas administration on the P10 million Presidential calamity fund.
With six of the fifteen “significant findings” dedicated to the Capitol aid of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, government auditors eventually had to issue “Notice of Suspensions” on at least two purchases made. All six findings also backed earlier Audit Observation Memorandum (AOM) that first brought to light what the Commission referred to as “irregular expenditures.”
UNLESS beneficial and advantageous to the public and stakeholders and at a premium, the government is not keen on taking advantage of the possible tender offer by London-based Ashmore group’s SEA Refinery Holdings or selling its stake in Petron Corp.
“Ashmore bought the 40 percent of the Petron shares held by Saudi Aramco—now, when you do that, you’re mandated to issue a tender offer to all the other shareholders,” Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes told reporters Monday. The government, being the owner of the 40-percent stake through Philippine National Oil Co. (PNOC), will not take advantage of the tender offer—since the government does not think it’s a good idea, Reyes said. The government, he added, is better off with keeping the 40 percent.
THE Filipino company Herma Shipping and Transport Corp. will follow up its successful launch of the “first Filipino-made international class tanker” M/T Matikas with three more such double-hulled vessels and is now in talks with several oil companies for the planned tankers. Matikas is now on long-term charter with Petron.
Herminio Esguerra, chairman of the Herma Group of Companies, said they foresee needing $50 million to be able to build the three future vessels at their 17-hectare shipyard in Bataan, so that they are currently in negotiations with petroleum companies. He did not name them but sources said they could include Chevron Corp., Caltex and Total Petroleum Philippines Corp.
MANILA, Philippines–Trans-Asia Oil and Energy Development Corp. (TA Oil) is almost done with its wind power potential study in Guimaras, which will pave the way for the possible establishment of a wind farm in the area.
TA Oil president and chief executive Francisco L. Viray said the company was now on its eighth month of a 1-year study of Guimaras’ wind power potential.
NUEVA VALENCIA, Guimaras – Frankie Aracan leads a pack of journalists through the rocky, winding trail on mountain bikes. He regularly checks if anyone is left behind or is having difficulty catching up.
A few hours later, Aracan gives pointers as they rappel down a 95-foot cliff overlooking the pristine beaches of Guimaras Island.
INVOKING fiscal constraints and a policy that negates reverse privatization, state-run Philippine National Oil Co. (PNOC) has waived its right to purchase the 40-percent stake of Aramco Overseas Co. B.V. (AOC) in local refiner Petron Corp., giving instead the green light for Aramco to sell its shares to London-based Ashmore Group’s SEA Refinery Holdings.
PNOC, which separately owns 40 percent of Petron—with the remaining 20 percent of shares publicly traded on the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE)—had, in effect, waived its right to first offer.