‘Don’t take Cavite ship collision incident lightly’

CIVIL-SOCIETY organizations expressed alarm on Monday over reports of a possible disastrous oil spill hitting the country’s shores following the collision last week of two foreign-listed vessels off the waters of Cavite.

The groups said they are not taking lightly the collision between the Marshall Island-registered cargo vessel MV Ivy Alliance and Thailand-flagged MV Rich Rainbow, which happened some three nautical miles from Cavite City at past 9 p.m. on April 7.

Rich Rainbow was loaded with gasoline while Ivy Alliance, registered under the flag of Marshall Islands, was loaded with coal when the accident occurred.

The PCG said there have been reports of oil leaks from the two crippled vessels.

Reacting to the mishap, Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) is taking the companies that own the vessels to task and demanded that these firms immediately conduct an initial assessment on the potential effects of the reported oil spill on the marine environment and the people living near the area.

Likewise, Pamalakaya national chairman Fernando Hicap said that should an oil spill occur, the provincial government of Cavite should demand for compensatory damages from the vessel owners as the incident might cause a long-term adverse effect on the environment and livelihood of small fisherfolk.

“The provincial government should utilize whatever funds the vessel owners would release as compensation and rehabilitation for the damage wrought by its oil spill to the small fishing communities and the environment.” Hicap said.

Sought for reaction, ocean conservation advocacy nongovernment organization Oceana, meanwhile, expressed deep concern that the maritime accident involves the transport of fossil fuels.

“Although no leaks have been observed so far, it is important for our government to ensure that the cargoes of these vessels are secured to avoid damage to our fisheries and marine resources,” Gloria Estenzo Ramos, vice president of Oceana in the Philippines told the Businessmirror.

“In this time of pandemic, a healthy ocean is more than ever a lifeline not just to our fisherfolk and coastal residents but to so many who have lost their jobs and went back to their hometowns,” she added.

According to Ramos, it is also disconcerting to know that accidents such as the collision off the waters of Cavite still happen when there are already measures available for ensuring safety at sea using technology.

“We need to embed a culture of safety and improve our monitoring, control and surveillance systems to avoid future accidents, as well as to monitor vessels that are plying our waters. We are already experiencing the effects of climate change and our government should implement fully our laws and stop our dependency on fossil fuels and adopt programs that promote renewable and sustainable energy,” she said.