VISAYAN SEA OFFSHORE DRILLING PROJECT
Environmental groups and peoples organizations are voicing out their opposition against a service contract granted to a private firm to conduct offshore drilling for oil and gas in over 500,000 hectares in the Visayan and Camotes seas.
Led by Oceana Philippines, the group is asking government agencies and local officials to stop or cancel the Petroleum Service Contract No. 69 granted to PHINMA Petroleum and Geothermal Inc.
“The said Service Contract was issued without compliance of the rigid requirements of various national laws and landmark Supreme Court Rulings designed to protect our fragile marine habitats and the threatened species of fish and marine resources and the people dependent on them for survival,” read the letter signed by Lawyer Gloria Ramos, Oceana vice president.
“It is patently a gross violation of the State-guaranteed duty to protect the rights of the people to a balanced and healthful ecology,” she added.
The letter, dated May 25, was sent to Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi, Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol, Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu, and Interior Secretary Eduardo Año.
Other recipients of the letter were Governors Hilario Davide III of Cebu, Alfredo Marañon Jr. of Negros Occidental, and Arthur Defensor Sr. of Iloilo.
Based on data from the website of the Department of Energy, PSC No. 69 was granted to PHINMA last May 7, 2008.
Cebu Daily News tried to contact Raymundo Reyes, the firm’s contact person based on the website. But a staff of his said they would not issue any statement on the matter.
When asked why the group led by Oceana made their stand in opposing Phinma Petroleum’s service contract, Ramos said that they only found out about the status of the service contract recently.
She said that they only heard rumors about the plan to conduct offshore drilling for oil and gas in the Visayan and Camotes Seas but they had no official confirmation about it until recently.
PSC No. 69 covers a total of 528,000 hectares which includes municipal waters of 30 municipalities in the provinces of Masbate, Cebu, Bohol, and Leyte.
“The Visayan Sea is identified as pilot fisheries managment area for its rich but over-exploited fishing ground,” read a position paper attached to the letter addressed to the government officials.
“The contract area is indeed an environmentally critical area as it straddles several other protected areas such as the Olango Island Wildlife, a Ramsar declared Wetland, and the Cuatro Islas Protected Landscape and Seascape,” Oceana’s position paper read.
The attached position paper was signed by officials from Oceana, Philippine Earth Justice Center, Tambuyog Development Center, Maricaban Fisherfolk Association, and other concerned citizens.
The group cited three main reasons why exploration for offshore oil and gas in the Visayan and Camotes Seas must not be allowed.
First, they said it is expected to pollute and damage the fishery sector and marine life. Second, it is also expected to displace fisherfolk, considered to be the “poorest of the poor,” through decreased fish catch and by being pushed away due to offshore drilling activities. The waters of 14 municipalities and cities in Cebu are included in the service contract for the offshore drilling (See separate story)
Lastly, they said it is non-compliant with required prior consultation.
They said the DOE awarded the PSC to PHINMA without prior consultation with stakeholders.
“This cannot be because municipal waters are involved. That’s why we also wrote to the governors since they also committed to protect these areas.
They even signed a memorandum of cooperation with us on this,” Ramos told CDN in a phone interview.