Cement plant oil spill affects Rizal communities

Spilled bunker fuel from the Solid Cement Corporation's (CEMEX's) plant in Antipolo, Rizal might be a threat to the livelihood of fishermen and farmers in nearby communities, and could also be a danger to fish-pens at the Laguna de Bay, GMA News TV's “State of the Nation with Jessica Soho” reported on Wednesday.



On Monday night, around 2,000 liters of bunker fuel spilled from the CEMEX plant's storage facility into the Morong River. A thunderstorm that night sent the spill quickly down the river that transected the towns of Morong and Teresa. The river ends at the Laguna de Bay.

CEMEX has taken responsibility for spill, and has promised to do its best to clean up the spill. On Wednesday, volunteers from CEMEX and affected communities used an oil spill boom and absorbent pads to clean up the spill which had reached Teresa town.

“101 percent ang commitment ng kompanya dito sa naging insidente natin sa lalawigan ng Rizal,” Cemex's corporate communications head, Chito Maniago promised.

Meanwhile, Philippine Coast Guard's Laguna de Bay Detachment commander, LTSG. Elizer Ibarrientos said that his unit had inspected the area where the lake and river connected, and there was no sign of the spill reaching the area.

However, Vener de Jesus, one of the 125 fishermen who makes a living on the river, said that he had not caught anything since the spill.

Also, some 25 hectares of agricultural land cannot presently be irrigated because water cannot be drawn from the river because of the spill.

Because of the consequences from the spill, Jerome Mateo from Morong's Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office said that Cemex needed to compensate the farmers and fishermen for their loses.

How much this compensation will come to is still unknown. The Rizal government is concentrating on clean-up, and has thus still not put a number on the spill's cost.

“Kung ito man ay sanhi ng insidenteng nangyari kahapon, tutulong tayo sa abot ng ating makakaya,” responded CEMEX's Maniago. “Alam naman natin na ito ang livelihood ng ating mga community members.” — DVM, GMA News