Dr. Resurreccion Sadaba, the recognized expert on oil spill management conducted the orientation for the Iloilo Team on July 29, 2020 at Pyt Stop Restaurant, Lapaz, Iloilo City. This activity necessary in evaluating the clean-up operations currently being done by Ayala Corporation Energy Philippines Inc. (ACEPh) in areas affected by the oil spill in Iloilo City, Iloilo Province and Guimaras.
While the SCAT initiative is the job of the insurer, the assessment should be consultative and should include key government agencies and stakeholders- particularly the LGU's (coastal barangays in Iloilo City). The conduct of SCAT highly technical and expensive. It was also agreed by the participants (DENR 6- PENRO, CENRO, EMB; CityEnro, City Agriculture, City DRRMO, BFAR, DOH, PCG, Harbor Star, Representatives from coastal barangays in Iloilo city) during the orientation the adoption of clean-up endpoints to answer the question- “how clean is clean” as the basis for evaluation of shoreline cleanup/treatment among other parameters.
The participants are always reminded that “the best clean-up strategy is not the best one that removes the most oil, rather it is the strategy that has the greatest net environmental benefit.”
The same orientations were done with the affected communities in Guimaras province and will also be conducted for the team from the municipalities of Oton, Leganes, Zarraga, Dumangas for Iloilo province.
