It’s an ecstatic feeling for the 308 families to be finally home after being enforced to leave their houses after a fateful oil spill incident occurred in Iloilo City-Guimaras Straight last July 3rd.
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| Residents recieving food packs from AC Energy and stakeholders. |
Proficiently, the AC Energy Philippines who are mainly responsible for the barge and stakeholders were able to continue the support and completed the return of the total 308 households to their respective houses last Saturday, July 18.
The community reintegration was a collaborative effort of
the multi-stakeholders task force composed of the various barangays in Iloilo
City, the Iloilo City Government, and its several offices, the Philippine Coast
Guard, and AC Energy Philippines with its consultant AECOM Philippines and
cleanup contractor Harbor Star Shipping Services Inc.
There were imperative sets of parameters developed and
implemented by the multi-stakeholders for the reintegration of the community to
ensure the safe return of the evacuated families to their homes. Also, the
people from affected barangays were scheduled by clusters to guarantee a smooth
movement.
The community reintegration was completed in only 4 days,
which started July 15th with 70 families from Brgy. Mansaya, followed on July
16th with 102 families from Brgy. Obrero Zone 2, then on July 17th with 95
families from Obrero Zone 3 and the remaining 41 families on July 18th from the
same barangay.
The communities of Loboc, Mansaya, and Obrero have received
a total number of 2,350 food packs from AC Energy Philippines in collaboration
with the various barangays in Iloilo City.
Meanwhile, Gabby Mejia, Head of AC Energy Philippines for
Plant Operations and AECOM Philippines has presented and emphasized their spill
assessment update and criteria called Shoreline Cleanup and Assessment
Technique (SCAT) in a meeting last Saturday, July 18 with representatives of
Guimaras government led by governor Dr. Samuel T. Gumarin and vice mayor Atty.
John Edward G. Gando. A method based on international standards and is used to
survey and document the impact of spills on shorelines, the effectiveness of
cleanup activities, and conduct post-cleanup inspections and evaluations. Mejia
noted that the assessment includes fisheries and mangrove rehab.
The method was also presented to Mayor Ruben Corpuz of Municipality of Jordan, Hon. Ma. Lucille Nava, Congresswoman of Lone District of Guimaras, and even to the former Congressman of Lone District of Guimaras, Mr. JC Rahman A. Nava.
AC Energy Philippines and the rest of the multi-stakeholders
task force worked vigorously to provide the best result toward this crisis.