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Thursday, June 29, 2006
Pinamungajan fishers fear livelihood loss
Fishermen in Pina-mungajan, Cebu are seeking the help of two Cebu City-based foundations to stop the oil exploration and drilling in their town that will definitely destroy their main source of living.
Arvin Donan, deputized coastal development officer of Pinamungajan, is hoping that Tampuyog Foundation and Coastal Conservation Education Foundation will help them in their fight against what they call “destructive” oil explorations that will not only deplete but also destroy marine resources.
Tests
Donan said test drills had been conducted for two months and, during this period, a four-kilometer area was declared “no fishing ground.”
As a result, several fishermen and their families suffered hunger and economic dislocation.
Donan said Pinamu-ngajan has the smallest coastal area in Cebu, including its marine sanctuary.
“Every time there is drilling operation, the Pinamungajan fishing ground is closed. The problem is that this is the fishermen’s only source of living,” Donan said. If the government cannot give better life to fishermen, it should not destroy their livelihood.
Department of Energy 7 Director Antonio Labios admitted that there are ongoing oil explorations in southwestern Cebu, especially in the towns of Pinamungajan and Alo-guinsan and Toledo City.
Labios said Japan Petroleum Exploration Company (Japex), Forum Exploration Inc. and Gas Co. Inc. conducted seismic survey last year and they are now planning to conduct full drilling activities this year.
For his part, Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) 7 Director Allan Arranguez said his office has issued certificates for explorations to Japex, Forum and Gas after they submitted complete requirements.
However, Arranguez said, they cannot conduct drilling operations without an environmental compliance certificate (ECC) from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
Conditions
The ECC, Aranguez said, has conditions that include cleaning up the sea in case an oil spill occurs.
Aranguez said that in the past, blasting was done during drillings. But with new technology, exploration firms are using sound waves to detect oil deposits.
He also said destruction of the natural resources at sea cannot be avoided in oil exploration and extraction. But responsible firms must be ready at all times to pay for what will be destroyed. (EOB)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (June 29, 2006 issue)
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