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Late in the afternoon of August 11 (Friday), M/T Solar 1,
owned and operated by Sunshine Maritime, sank about 13.3 nautical miles S/SW
off the coast of the island province of Guimaras.
The vessel sank in the Panay gulf area to a depth estimated at 640 meters.
Solar 1 was carrying a fuel oil cargo of 2.19 million liters or 97% of its
carrying capacity of 2.24 million liters. In terms of weight, the fuel oil
cargo was 2,064 metric tons, or 96% of the deadweight tonnage of the vessel.
Solar 1 was seaworthy, being classed by Bureau Veritas Quality International.
BVQI is an international classification society for certifying the
sea-worthiness of vessels. Furthermore, it has the proper insurance for
incidents like this and is fully covered by the Protection & Indemnity Club
- an association of shipowners who agree to insure each other with respect to
specified risks arising from the operation of their ships. Solar 1 also has a
certificate of inspection by the MARINA.
Guimaras Island
The spilled oil affected almost the entire coast line of the
municipalities of Nueva Valencia, Sibunag and San Lorenzo in Guimaras Island. A
total of 3,357 families in these areas were affected, involving 27 out of 40
barangays. As reported by the provincial government of Guimaras, the spill has
affected.
220 kms of shoreline
454 has of mangroves
58 has of seaweed farms
Iloilo
In Iloilo, the oil slick coming from Panay Gulf was carried to
the North by the sea current through Guimaras Strait. The oil slick was sighted
about 500 meters off Brgy. Lanas, Barotac Nuevo. It hit mainland Panay starting
at Bay-ang Point at the town of Ajuy, Iloilo last August 19.
At Ajuy, coastal barangays at the periphery of Canal Bay and
Ajuy bay were affected. The coastal barangays are Day-ong, Sitio Culasi,
Barredo, Tagohangin, Bocana Buglas, Siangon. The islands off the coast of Ajuy
namely Nasidman, Calabasa Island, Guin-asyan Diutay, Guin-asyan Daku,
Binongan-an, Brgy. Puntaburi, Tagubanhan Island were affected as well.
From Ajuy Bay, the oil slick moved up North through Apitong Pass
while some moved left at Payong Point near the southern promontory of Tagubahan
Island and to the Visayan Sea. Barangays affected are Brgy. Bangonon, Nipa,
Plandico, Botlog, Polopiņa, Tambaliza and Brgy. Loong.
As soon as Petron received reports of the oil slick, a team was
dispatched as early as Monday August 21 to verify and assess the situation in
the affected areas in Iloilo. By Wednesday, August 23, the Petron team arrived
at the towns of Ajuy and Concepcion to coordinate the Oil spill clean up. Oil
spill clean up materials, personal protective equipment, and technical support
were provided related to the clean up volunteers from the affected barangays.
To date, with the clean-up and coordination setup with the local officials in
place, Petron continues to monitor status and impact of the Oil spill for these
towns.
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