Author Topic: No Oil Survey  (Read 970 times)

pioneer

  • To God be the glory alone
  • FOUNDER
  • GURU
  • *****
  • Posts: 18911
  • stay at home
    • View Profile
    • spiritual preparation
No Oil Survey
« on: June 17, 2007, 05:59:28 PM »
By Kit Bagaipo

No seismic oil survey will take place tomorrow or within the municipal waters of Bohol until an agreement is reached on the issues raised by non-government organizations and concerned groups.

This was the assurance made by Department of Energy (DoE) Asst Sec. Francisco Delfin in front of Gov. Erico Aumentado, fishermen's groups, mayors and officials in the areas to be affected by the oil exploration and concerned groups during a consultative meeting last Friday at the Governor's Mansion.

ASec. Delfin admitted there were lapses in the groundwork of the oil exploration while the DOE and its foreign investor NorAsian Energy Ltd. are now taking steps to address the situation.

The meeting was a last ditch effort to forestall planned picket rallies and a boat barricade to be staged by fisherfolks from at least five towns and the city, as the vessel M/V Pacific Sword was scheduled to commence tomorrow the oil seismic survey in the Cebu-Bohol Strait.

ASec. Delfin, who flew in Friday together with NorAsian Energy Ltd. executive officer Chris Fellowes to attend the meeting called by the governor, tried to address the issues and concerns of oppositors.

Although, NorAsian will not start the seismic survey within Bohol's waters, the Cebu side will be carried out starting Monday since Cebu officials have given their go signal for the survey.

In fact, clearing operations of fish pens that will be damaged by the seismic survey started last Friday in the waters off Dalaguete town.

The governor, ASec. Delfin, NorAsian together with local stakeholders of LGU officials will meet again 11 o'clock this morning at the Governor's Mansion to form a technical working group. The group will be tasked to iron out proposals and counter-proposals from DOE and NorAsian on one side and fisherfolks and oppositors on the other.

PICKET RALLY

Atendees to last Friday's meeting, which included officials of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, DOE and NorAsian were met by a picket rally of fisherfolks held just outside the Mansion's gates.

The same group threatened to hold boat barricades in the survey area if the DOE and NorAsian could not resolve the compensation for their fish aggregating devices, payaos (fish pens) that will be damaged during the seismic oil exploration.

Fishermen are likewise asking for compensation from loss of income during the 3 to 4 weeks that they will not be allowed to fish in their fishing grounds.

COURT ORDER SOUGHT

Despite the agreements during the dialogue, a team of lawyers representing the Bohol Alliance of Non-Government Organizations (BANGON), the Environmental Legal Assistance Center (ELAC), and local government units will file a petition for a temporary restraining order and injunction on the oil survey.

The team is composed of BANGON chair Atty. Raul Barbarona, City Legal Officer Doni Piquero and Atty. Florendo Columnas as representative of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) Bohol.

Until closing time of office hours last Friday, no petition has yet been filed by the team.
Barbarona pointed out that while exploration will temporarily be postponed in the Bohol side, the seismic survey on the Cebu side will still disturb marine life and protected areas off Bohol as "there are no natural barriers separating the Cebu-Bohol waters."

Some scientific studies also indicated that dolphins and whales within the survey area, could still be affected by the loud sound blasts from the seismic exploration.

COMPENSATION PACKAGE

ASec. Delfin assured stakeholders during the dialogue at the Governor's Mansion that DoE and NorAsian are ready to pay owners of payao that will be damaged in the course of the oil seismic exploration.

Meanwhile, he said fishermen who will be affected in the coastal towns of Panglao, Dauis, Cortes, Maribojoc, Loon and Tagbilaran City will be "justly compensated" for loss of income during the survey which could run for 3 to 4 weeks.

Payments will be based on BFAR estimates, according to ASec. Delfin. He said a payao is worth at an average of P4,000.

However, according to Barbarona, a payao is would cost from P10,000 to P15,000.
He said marginal fishermen who will not be able to fish during the survey period will be paid P100 per day, an amount which DoE and NorAsian is willing to pay outright once the fishermen are identified by the local government units. (The Bohol Chronicle, June 17, 2007)

Linkback: https://tubagbohol.mikeligalig.com/index.php?topic=1317.0
Romans 10:9
"That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you shall be saved."
👇👇👇
Na-try mo na ba yung Tala app? Reliable sa unexpected expenses at laking tulong sa future! Use this code 9SO1TSL or visit www.tala.com to sign up!

unionbank online loan application low interest, credit card, easy and fast approval

Tags: