Rhodina Villanueva, Philippine Star, 6 Oct 13;
MANILA, Philippines - The owners of the sunken MV St. Thomas Aquinas and MV Sulpicio Express Siete would have to pay P41.7 million for the damage to 328 hectares of mangroves caused by the collision of the two ships off Lawis Ledge in Cebu last Aug. 16.
Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Undersecretary for policy and planning Demetrio Ignacio said the amount was determined by the DENR Region 7.
The DENR Region 7 already sent a demand letter to 2GO Group Inc., owner of Thomas Aquinas, and Philippine Span Asia Carrier Corp., owner of Sulpicio Express, urging the companies to pay the amount by Nov.15.
DENR Central Visayas executive director Isabelo Montejo warned that if the two shipping firms would ignore the demand letter, the DENR would file charges against the ship owners in court.
“We are demanding such amount to the owners as we would like to proceed with providing alternative livelihood options to those people’s organizations who have been affected by the incident and carefully draw out reconstruction programs like rehabilitation and reforestation efforts,” Montejo said in a statement.
The demand letter of DENR Region 7 signed by Montejo noted that P5,935,000 worth of mangroves planted between 2009 to 2012 were destroyed, while the amount of fish lost in a year for every hectare of mangroves destroyed was P35,769,600.
“A hectare of mangrove produces up to 3.6 tons of litter fall per year per hectare, thus providing a lot of food for marine life. Also, in every hectare of mangrove destroyed, some 1.08 tons of fish per year per hectare will be lost,” DENR Region 7 spokesman Ed Llamedo explained.
The collision also resulted in an oil spill that affected Cordova town and Lapu-Lapu City. Local officials declared a state of calamity over the entire province. – With Evelyn Macairan, Marigold Lebumfacil/Freeman
Shipping lines fined P41M for oil spill following crash
Philippine Inquirer, 4 Oct 13;
The owners of the two vessels that collided off Lauis Ledge near Talisay City last August were ordered to pay P41 million as compensation due to the resulting oil spill that affected coastal barangays in Cordova town and Lapu-Lapu City.
Dr. Eddie Llamedo, spokesman of the regional Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), said they sent demand letters to Philippine Span Asia Carrier Corp.(PSACC) and 2GO Group Inc. where they were given until Nov. 15 to pay the fine or else risk facing a civil suit.
2GO Assistant Vice President Lito Salvio said their Cebu office has yet to receive the demand letter from the DENR.
The oil spill caused by the collision damaged 443 mangrove plantations in 12 barangays in Cordova town and Lapu-Lapu City.
Llamedo said a conference will be held with the owners on Oct. 9 to discuss compensation issues.
“Ideally, it will be divided into two. However, we will still wait for the agreement of both companies,” Llamedo said.
Financial plan
A financial plan will be set up for the activities and programs to rehabilitate the affected coastal areas.
It would include coastal clean-ups, mangrove planting and alternative livelihood.
The demand letter dated Oct. 1 signed by DENR Regional Executive Director Dr. Isabelo Montejo placed the damage on 328 hectares of mangroves at P5,935,000.
The mangroves were planted from 2009 to 2012 and were funded by the DENR’s integrated coastal resource management project (ICRMP) with funding support sourced from the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
The collision between 2GO’s MV St Thomas Aquinas and Philippine Asia Span Carrier Corp.’s Sulpicio Express Siete resulted in the deaths of 116 passengers.
A total of 21 passengers remain unaccounted for. /Reporter Joy Cherry Quito and Correspondent Michelle Joy L. Padayhag
Shipping firms charged environmental damages
Phoebe Jen Indino, Manila Bulletin, 3 Oct 13;
Cebu City, Cebu — The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) 7 has slapped the owners of two vessels which figured in a sea mishap resulting to an oil spill with a total of P41.704 million in environmental damages.
To recall, last August 16, 2013, passenger ship M/V Thomas Aquinas and cargo ship Sulpicio Siete Express collided at the Lawis Ledge, off the coast of Talisay City, resulting to the drowning of several passengers and causing a massive oil spill which caused damages to the environment in Cordova town and Lapu-lapu City, Cebu.
The oil spill ruined some 443 mangrove plantations in 12 barangays in Cordova and Lapu-lapu City. It also badly affected the livelihood of fishermen in those two areas.
DENR-7 sent demand letters dated October 1 to Philippine Span Asia Carrier Corp. (PSACC) Chairman of the Board Mr. Enrique Go, owner of the cargo ship and 2Go Group Inc. Chairman of the Board Mr. Francis C. Chua, operator of the passenger ship that sunk, to settle said P41,704,600 on or before November 15, 2013. “We are demanding such amount to the owners as we would like to proceed with providing alternative livelihood options to people’s organizations (POs) who have been affected by the incident and draw out such reconstruction programs as rehabilitation and reforestation efforts,” said DENR-7 Regional Executive Director Dr. Isabelo R. Montejo.
An Oct. 1, 2013 demand letter signed by Montejo, indicated that mangroves covering some 328 hectares worth at least P5,935,000.00 were destroyed. Montejo was referring to mangroves planted in 328 hectares from 2009 to 2012 under the DENR’s integrated coastal resource management (ICRMP) under Component B (Resource Management – Mangrove Reforestation and Rehabilitation) program with funds from the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
