ILOILO CITY – The city government will be asking for the expertise and assistance of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) regarding the reported oil spill in Barangay Sto. Niño Sur in Arevalo district here over the weekend.
“To be sure, we will send this to the DOST for testing,” said Donna Magno, Iloilo City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officer, in an interview Monday, referring to water samples taken from the area.
Magno said that they received a call from officials of the village around 12 p.m. of May 18 regarding the alleged oil spill along their coastline.
Immediately the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO), City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG)-Iloilo responded to the area.
Magno said that they also received a report from the municipal DRRM of nearby Oton about a similar incident.
A cleanup operation was immediately conducted with around 150 volunteers responding to their call for help.
Angelie Buentecillo, CDRRMO staff who organized the core group for the cleanup, said that they gathered around seven to eight sacks of tar balls. They were not able to totally clean the entire area but at least they lessened the oil spill, she said.
Magno said the oil spill no longer poses a health hazard.
She said that initially, they were told that it could be a discharge or end-product of a vessel that passed by the area.
“We are not yet sure because it still being investigated by the PCG,” she added.
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