also published at www.saveguimaras.com 

from SOS Madias written by Geobelyn Lopez

 It has been two months after the biggest oil spill knocked off the feet of the people of Guimaras and nearby provinces. The problem remains as MT Solar 1 is still 3,000 feet below the sea and continues to spew bunker fuel.It is quite early for Petron Corporation, Sunshine Maritime Development Corporation, and even for the Arroyo government to suffer dementia and make it appear that things are getting better each day in Guimaras.

Two months is too short for them to simply forget the extent of damage brought by the oil spill. Amidst attempt to cover up the issue, the fact remains that the affected people suffer the brunt of the tragedy.

I would like to write to you about the recent oil spill tragedy in Guimaras, Philippines. Guimaras is a tiny island in Southern Philippines known for its rich marine biodiversity, white beaches, mangrove and seaweed plantations.

But on August 11, an oil tanker carrying oil from Petron company sank in Guimaras waters spilling 2.19 million liters of oil and affecting as much as:  

• 26,000 individuals displaced
• 1,500 hectares of ecosystem
• 209 hectares of mangrove
• 20 hectares of sea grass
• 100 hectares of coral reef within Taklong Marina Reserve
• 58 villages (and threatens 37 more)

Outside the marine reserve

Fishermen in Guimaras are in dire need of protective suits and masks to continue helping in the clean up. Some of them are using their bare hands to sift the oil out of the coastline.  There are some who are developing skin rashes and coughing from  working in this condition.

I dont know what organization to go to ask for help. (to donate please check www.projectsunrise.org

In another twist, people are starting to cut their hair in the Philippines. Parlors are teeming with people who are getting a makeover and donating their hair samples for Guimaras. Greenpeace has announced that hair has absorbing properties and is proven effective with oil-spill incidents.

In light of the recent oil spill tragedy in Guimaras where 200 kilometers of coastline, hectares of mangroves and seaweed plantations affected, I have started a Save Guimaras project here at TIG global at http://projects.takingitglobal.org/saveguimaras, to be followed by a website and Up and coming  http://saveguimaras.wordpress.com.

The idea is to raise awareness and pressure international media and organizations to continue their coverage and assistance. CNN and BBC covered it only for five days; such a short span of attention for something as tragic as this, which reports say will last three years to clean up. I have no background whatsoever with public campaigns therefore I need to ask help from everybody to help me draft letters, articles, create artworks/logo, IT skills (web 2.0) in order to come up with an action toolkit. (This is based on the philosophy and guideline of TIG and other social action networks. To date, the fishermen are being paid a measly 200 pesos per day to help with the clean up. Most of them use gloves but do not don masks or other safety paraphernalia. There are a lot of environmental groups already helping but there is lack of exposure in the internatinal circuit and also lack of accountability! Now we dont want to point fingers here and blame blame blame. What we want is to make a change, right? So far, according to Greenpeace, everytime there is an oil spill accident, oil companies are not held accountable simply because they are protected by the international oil convention laws. So, in short, this isn´t just about Petron, this is about the OIL INDUSTRY!!!

This article has been written by a friend of mine, a journalist from Visayas, Philippines. CNN and BBC only covered this tragedy in one article. The international community is clearly ignoring this environmental disaster and focusing more on featuring alleged paedophile killers or celebrities caught up in a drink-driving spree! Please fwd to all your friends

INQUIRER VISAYAS
Tragedy in Guimaras, Iloilo

 

CentroMigrante wins MIT 100K   For a business idea that was just discovered on a "serendipity walk," (see this article) there is no doubt that Centromigrante has made a giant leap by winning the grand prize from the prestigious MIT 100K Entrepreneurship Competition last week in Cambridge, Massachussettes. This is the first time a  Filipino team has taken on this 100K race, a competition that might as well be compared to a marathon for its magnitude and prestige. An advantage arose for the Pinoy team when MIT decided to shift course this year and open 100K to a development track.