July 29, 2024
Pablo Rosales, National Chairperson of Pangisda Pilipinas discussing the widespread impact of the oil spill in Manila Bay. Photo by Joseph Purugganan. 28 July 2024. Quezon City
By Joseph Purugganan
Small fisherfolk and residents of coastal communities across Manila Bay at a press conference today demanded accountability from the government and the owners of the vessel that capsized and caused an oil spill in Manila Bay.
The environmental tragedy happened on 26 July 2024 when a commercial Philippine flag carrying oil tanker MT Terra Nova operated by Shogun Shipping Company, which was carrying 1.4 million liters of industrial fuel en route to Iloilo, capsized near Lamao point in Limay, Bataan leaking oil into the fishing waters of the bay.
“This most recent oil spill in Manila Bay would have deep negative impact not just on the waters of Manila bay but on the livelihoods of thousands of small fishers and their family dependent on these fishing grounds for their survival,” said Pablo Rosales, National Chairperson of Pangisda, Pilipinas.
“Because of the oil spill, which now threatens to spread all over the bay, the government has now ordered a temporary closure of the fishing grounds, preventing fishers from pursuing their livelihood. While this is important in order to safeguard the safety of the consuming public, without emergency relief from the government, fisherfolk and their families would go hungry,” stressed Rosales.
The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), had estimated that around 11,000 fisherfolk in the province of Bataan alone will be affected by the oil spill, and could lead to income losses of P83.8 million per month.
“This is a big blow to fishers and their families. We know that this incident could have been prevented. This was a result of negligence. We are making this urgent appeal to government to act now in order to prevent the situation from worsening,” appealed Edlyn Rosales, a woman leader from Bataan.
“Women in the community– those engaged not just in fishing but in fish processing, and selling as well carry a heavy burden not just in terms of sustaining the livelihood, but also of caring for the health and well-being of the family especially in times of disasters like these,” she added.
Fishers from other municipalities and cities around the Bay also echoed the appeal for urgent government support in the wake of the tragedy.
Speaking on behalf of the Manila Bay Para sa Tao Network (MBPT), Joseph Purugganan of Focus on the Global South challenged the newly created Inter-agency Task Force to conduct a full and transparent investigation on the oil spill.
“The public has the right to know the extent of the damage, particularly to the livelihoods of local fishers. We need to know whether the government has a plan to contain the spill. Back in 2006, the DENR and the Coast Guard put together a Manila Bay Oil Spill contingency plan. We want to know if this is now being followed’,” according to Purugganan.
Purugganan added: “the government’s plan to address this issue should have at the center the active involvement of small fishers and coastal communities who are most affected.
Atty Virgie Suarez of Kilusan echoed the call for immediate investigation in order to determine who is ultimately liable for the disaster.
“There cannot be accountability unless there’s a thorough investigation,” asserted Atty Suarez. “Why for example was the tanker allowed to sail despite the heavy rains and rough waters? What was so urgent about delivering those industrial fuel? Is profit more important than the lives of the fishers?”
Fishers from Manila Bay dramatize their call for government and corporate accountability on the oil spill. Photo by Joseph Purugganan. 29 July 2024. Quezon City.
“We are calling on the Senate to conduct an inquiry in aid of legislation in order to determine whether laws and regulations were violated, or if there are gaps in policies that need to be addressed in order to prevent tragedies like these from recurring,” said Atty Suarez.
Asked whether the group is contemplating filing a legal case against the company, Pablo Rosales responded that they are consulting with lawyers to determine possible course of action.
For her part Atty Suarez, stressed the responsibility of the Philippine government to hold the corporation accountable.
“Public funds and tax payers money are being used for the clean up, when in fact the corporation should bear all the costs not just of the clean up but the long term rehabilitation of the bay as well.” asserted Derek Cabe from the Nuclear Free Bataan Movement.
“Resources from the government should instead be directed towards the urgent and much needed emergency relief for affected communities,” added Cabe.
Pangisda, together with support groups Nuclear Free Bataan Movement, Manila Bay para sa Tao Network and Kilusan para sa Pambansang Demokrasya, vowed to continue their campaign to exact accountability for the oil spill tragedy.
