The Bacolod Sangguniang Panlungsod unanimously approved yesterday the request of the Mayor for a declaration of a state of imminent danger of calamity in the foreshore areas of Bacolod City in the wake of the Guimaras oil spill threat.

The SP also approved the request of Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia for the approval of P3 million from the 5 percent calamity fund pursuant to an action plan by the City Disaster Coordination Council in coordination with the national, regional and provincial disaster management's collective effort to contain the oil spill without prejudice to the right of the city to determine its needs and plan of action.

A resolution strongly urging the national government to demand from Petron Philippines to undertake, at their own expense, the immediate removal, recovery and salvaging of the sunken M/V Solar 1, or the removal of bunker fuel inside the ship was unanimously approved by the SP. It was proposed by Councilor Jocelle Batapa-Sigue.

The SP also approved yesterday another resolution respectfully urging the Mayor to organize and send a contingent from the city to help in the containment of the oil spill in Guimaras which threatens the province of Negros Occidental, as well, as the City of Bacolod.

The resolution, authored by Councilor Lyndon Caña, said that while the municipal waters of Bacolod City has not yet been directly reached by the oil spill, it is a good act of solidarity with our regional neighbors to send a contingent of available volunteers and resources from the city to help in the effort to mitigate the disaster on the environment.

Meanwhile, Leonardia had created Task Force Bantay Langis on August 16 through Executive Order No. 22, to monitor the movement of the oil spill caused by the sinking of M/T Solar 1 off the southern coast of the province of Guimaras and to plan out the appropriate response to the threat on the municipal waters of Bacolod City.

In his order, Leonardia said that "despite the assurance of Secretary Angelo Reyes and regional director Julian Amador of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources of their full support in preventing the spread of the spill to our provincial waters, the city has to be prepared to combat the potential threat should the slightest indication show that the oil spill is moving towards our area of responsibility." "This is to ensure the welfare and safety of our people, which is a top priority of my administration," Leonardia said.

Initial steps have been made, upon the instruction of the Mayor, towards resolving the problem in a meeting with City Agriculture Office head Goldwyn Nifras and Environment Officer engineer Max Sillo.

Meanwhile, the Committee on Agriculture and Fisheries chaired by Councilor Jude Thaddeus Sayson will conduct a meeting today regarding the oil spill incident at 2 p.m. at the SP session hall. Invited to the meeting are Nifras, Sillo, City Fisheries and Aquatic Resource Management Council president Edwin Espinosa, Coast Guard commander Lt. Comdr. Edgar Ybañez, the Punong Barangays of 16 coastal barangays in Bacolod, representatives of the Maritime Command, Petron Philippines, City Mayor's Office, Provincial Agriculturist Office and Councilor Lyndon Caña, chairman of the SP Committee on Environment.*CGS

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