A multi-stakeholders task force gathered today to conduct a walk-through and evaluate the progress of the clean-up operations on barangays affected by the oil spill that occurred on July 3, 2020
The task force is composed of the various barangays in Iloilo City including the Iloilo City Government and its various offices, the Philippine Coast Guard, Ayala's AC Energy Philippines, and its consultant, AECOM Philippines and clean-up contractor Harbor Star Shipping Services Inc.
The said task force developed a set of parameters for the reintegration of the community back to their homes. As of writing, 37 out of the 323 relocated households have been surveyed, and in the coming days, the task force will continue to assess the other families. This represents the initial step for families to safely return to their homes following the community clean-up activities done by the multi-agency team of stakeholders
In a meeting organized by the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO), AC Energy Philippines and AECOM Philippines presented their respective action plans regarding the coastal clean-up front. Various stakeholders were present. Among which are the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO), the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB), the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Regional Office, the City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (CDRRMO), and other government agencies together with Dr. Rex Sadaba of U.P. Visayas.
AECOM Philippines also presented its Spill Assessment Update and Criteria called the "Shoreline Clean-up and Assessment Technique" or "SCAT". SCAT, an internationally-recognized method, is used to survey and document the impact of spills on shorelines, the effectiveness of clean-up activities, and conduct post-cleanup inspections and evaluations
Ayala's AC Energy Philippines is committed to making sure that the clean-up efforts are not only compliant with the International Standards but also assures that all stakeholders are involved in a collaborative approach with regards to the spill response
"We are grateful to everyone for participating in this Multi-Stakeholder Process and we look forward to your continued support for the clean-up, relief and rehabilitation efforts", said Gabby Mejia, Head of AC Energy Philippines for Plant Operations.
"With this strong collaboration among the various stakeholders, we are confident that we will be able to achieve our common objective which is to restore normalcy in the lives of everyone", he added.