Tuesday, August 05, 2008 No to oil drilling: Argao fisherfolk
THE fisherfolk of Langtad, Argao, Cebu led by their barangay officials opposed another seismic survey to be conducted for four days by NorAsian Energy Limited of Australia starting on Aug. 15.
They said the same activity conducted last year has destroyed their only source of living.
Langtad Barangay Captain Ariel Saragena said that yesterday’s consultation headed by Director Antonio Labios of the Department of Energy (DOE) Visayas, resulted in a debate because all parties were emotional.
Saragena said that when NorASian conducted the survey last year, the fisherfolk were prohibited to go fishing and their payaws (fish cages) were destroyed, thus halting the people’s livelihood.
Constituents
Saragena, who is also a people’s organization (PO) head in the area, said that while NorAsian paid the payaws, the amount was not even enough to buy food for their families.
Saragena added that 80 percent of his constituents are fishermen and the government should not ignore their plight otherwise they will go hungry.
“It is now very clear to us that the seismic survey last year has driven away the fish, hence the decrease in the catch,” Saragena said.
Vince Cinches of the Fisherfolk Development Center said Labios blamed the Pamalakaya ng Bansang Pilipinas (Pamana), especially Victor Lapaz and Wilbert Dimol for misleading the people of Langtad, hence they opposed the project.
Denouncement
Cinches said that Labios got irked when he saw the fisherfolk carrying placards denouncing the seismic survey. Cinches said Labios blamed Lapaz and Dimol for the incident.
But the two Pamana leaders said that the DOE must address the problem instead of blaming them.
Lapaz said the issue is not whether there is oil and gas deposits in the Cebu-Bohol Straight but the destruction of the seismic survey to the environment and the people’s source of living.
Labios did not answer calls to his mobile phone when sought for comment.
Injunction
While the seismic survey was done at the sea waters in Argao last year, it was stopped in Bohol after local officials and fisherfolk went to court and secure an injunction.
Even though Japan Exploration Corp. has pulled out from Tañon Strait allegedly because the oil and gas deposits in the area is not substantial, NorAsian announced that it will start the oil and gas drilling in Argao this month.
Saragena said that another public consultation will be held by DOE on Monday in Langtad, Argao to discuss the compensation of the fisherfolk if ever the seismic survey will push through. (EOB)
