Dear Citizen, Our land needs you more than ever.

 In light of the release of Pope Francis’s encyclical on the environment and climate change, “Laudato Si”, On Care for our Common Home, he emphasized the evil triple As which plague humanity today: Apathy, Avarice and Arrogance. Now, one of our marine sanctuaries is threatened by these plagues in the form of avaricious capitalists, corrupt politicians, and apathetic citizens—a deadly combination indeed.  

 Now, we are calling all Filipinos to save Pandan Bay, which is an important marine hub for the Antique province, in the region of Western Visayas. It is home to barangay sanctuaries, namely Mag-aba, Idiacacan, Tingib and Patria, and contains coral reefs that support a rich marine biodiversity in its core. In this rich vein, Pandan bay supports its area of reach by provision of sustainable livelihood evident through a large population of coastal people—thriving on fishing-- who live in the neighboring Malalison and Batbatan islands. A study conducted by Hayuma Foundation Inc. revealed that fishing here is done on the average of 11 months per year; thus, making it the livelihood of the majority. Moreover, the bay is an ecotourism spot and even during habagat season, it serves as a sanctuary for many vessels against the open sea.

This precious sanctuary is now in the process of being destroyed by the oil giant, PETRON CORPORATION. This oil company is reported to underhandedly wing its way into a “permission” of construction of an oil depot in Sitio Calabanog, Barangay Idiacacan in the Municipality of Pandan. Petron gained biased agreement at the barangay level consultation, which first and foremost, did not go through the proper processing of public approval.

 More reasons to fight against the oil mogul:

 1)     There are blatant flaws in the process of public consultation.

2)     Calabanog Shore is not only placed under the marine protected area (MPA), but is also the site of DENR’s “reforestation” program-- being planted with Talisay trees.

3)     Gas Depot is to be constructed on lands that are classified as agricultural; meaning these are disallowed for commercial use since said area is not yet declared an industrial zone, nor has a land use plan classification. This is a very prerequisite for a depot permit. Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) and Barangay Idiacacan consultation must be made to validate the claim of the mayor.

4)      Pandan Bay has been declared as MPA or fish sanctuary. LIPASECU shores have been declared as fish sanctuary; thus commercial fishing--15 kms away from the shorelines-- is prohibited in these areas. If commercial fishing is prohibited due to expected destruction to coral reefs, all the more the tanker/barge of an aviation or gas depot should be disallowed.

5)     Pandan is along West Panay Fault and even a level 6 Earthquake can result to liquefaction. This results to weakening of submerged soil resulting to weakening of infrastructure foundation; thus toppling it. Imagine a collapsed gas depot and this spells herculean oil spill catastrophe that will be felt for a number of years, and is truly irreversible. 1948 and 1990 Earthquakes wreaked devastating liquefactions in the history of Pandan. (Phivolcs). This fact alone entails non-issuance of DENR’s ECC.

6)     Pandan Bay, or Region VI in general, has also suffered from a historical tsunami. Imagine a tsunami hitting a gas depot. Indeed, this will be a tragedy of immeasurable proportions.

 The town mayor of Pandan is a proponent of this project. Here is where it gets interesting; to fight this oil monster is equivalent to fighting the LGU. This is why the power of concerned citizens is needed more than ever. According to the LGU, the gas depot to be erected on proposed site, which is a rice land near the seashore of Panday Bay (100-200 meters away from the residential areas), intends to boost employment in the province. We may automatically think that this is a sign of progress for our country…but at what price? Destruction in the name of Progress? This oil depot intends to yes, supply fuel to the international airport soon to open at Caticlan , Aklan, which is definitely progressive since it leads to many developments and opportunities for people. However, progress too means a sense of foresight. Here, the project camouflages a temporary livelihood only through messy construction works (who knows, PETRON might install their own people after completion of depot?) versus the fishing livelihood, which is far more sustainable and of course, healthy. Alternative and sustainable livelihood was not even studied and taken into account by the LGU for considerable number of years. For what are developments if in the end it destroys the very resources that sustain human life? The point now of that so-called progress becomes moot. As the adage goes: “Don’t bite the hand that feeds you.”

 This issue is not only about the community in Sitio Calabanog and Barangay Idiacacan. The dangers of said gas depot can extend to the municipalities covered by Pandan Bay namely Libertad, Sebaste and Culasi. And in the macroscopic view of things, it affects our nation. For if oil spill tragedy hits it does more than just wipe out coral reefs and a number of marine and bird species; it threatens our food sources, our economy, and basically our lives. Oil spills do not disappear overnight! The gravity of oil spills is so immense even early 90s spills is evident up to date. Also, let us not be amnesiac people and just forget about the great spills of PETRON, which they were never even punished by the way. August of 2013 in Roasario, Cavite, not less than 500,000 liters of oil oozed out of Petron’s depot and wreaked havoc in a 20 by 15 kilometers sea area. This affected not only the municipality of Rosario, but also the neighboring municipalities: Tanza, Ternate, & Naic. REWIND further back…August of 2006, in the southern coast of Guimaras, PETRON also spilled about 500,000 liters of bunker fuel from its contracted oil tanker M/T SOLAR 1. Marine sanctuaries and mangroves are devastated with the deadly black slick and this even reached the shores of IloIlo and Negros Occidental. We would like to reiterate: PETRON WAS NEVER PENALIZED BY THE PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT.

 Let us protect whatever is left in our rich and diverse archipelago. If we harness our resources responsibly; we could even reach the right and just progress that we dream for this country. Let us stop allowing big companies –especially dirty energy enterprises--push us around for profit while leaving its dirty laundry in its wake. These environmental corporate disasters (deforestation, wide-scale mining, quarrying, dynamite fishing, poaching, oil spills, etc.) are even pushing our country deeper into poverty. Now that is the reality of lack of foresight and lack of peripheral concern kind of progress. This is not what we want to teach our children, and we definitely don’t want them to live in an apathetic, avaricious and arrogant kind of society. Love for environment means love for your nation and your people.

Environment is a common commodity and what is done in one area ripples out. Please sign our petition to stop this injustice and protect ourselves from being ravaged by tycoons. The time of wait is over.

 With utmost hope,

 The SAVE THE PANDAN FROM PETRON GAS DEPOT COALITION

 https://www.facebook.com/Save-Pandan-Bay-Antique-from-the-Dangers-of-OilGas-Depot-821744167941116/timeline/

Supported by: The Climate Reality Project Philippine Leaders, 350.org East Asia, Save Antique Movement, Inc., No to Mining in Antique and Panay Island, PAGTATAP Foundation, Inc.