Friday, August 25, 2006 (Philippines)

Guimaras residents, hired by Petron, paddle in oil-polluted waters in Nueva Valencia. A tanker contracted by Petron, the Solar I, sank in rough seas last Aug. 11. Some of the 50,000 gallons of oil may also affect northern Cebu towns. Petron promises total cleanup of oil slick. (Afp photo) The surface waters off Madridejos town in Bantayan Island in northern Cebu turned oily yesterday, raising fears that the massive oil spill in Guimaras has already reached and contaminated the Visayan seas. Both Madridejos Mayor Lety Mancio and environmentalist-lawyer Antonio Oposa confirmed an oil sheen that has given the seawaters off Madridejos a greasy surface that glints in sunlight. Mancio said the oily surface was visible 300 meters away from the shoreline of Barangay Poblacion. [full story]