Petron helps clean up coastal waters

Oil industry leader Petron Corp. recently joined in the efforts to protect and conserve the coastal waters of San Luis, Batangas. With the Project Aquatic World Awareness Responsibility and Education (AWARE) Foundation in Australia and the Philippine National Police Scuba Divers Association (PNPSDA), Petron helped protect fragile coral reefs by deploying mooring buoys and collecting underwater garbage last October 2007.

A total of 10 buoys were mounted along popular dive sites in San Luis, Lemery and Anilao, Batangas. With the installation of mooring buoys, boatmen can now secure their boats by tying up to the buoys instead of dropping heavy anchors, which can scrape and damage corals underneath. Coral reefs are the rainforests of the sea, sheltering diverse marine species for a sustainable coastal ecosystem. Considering its significant role in marine life, damaged coral reefs have severe repercussions as it takes a long time for a coral to grow under normal conditions. Studies show that it takes one year to grow a meager centimeter of coral.

Aside from deploying buoys, shoreline and underwater garbage were also collected to protect the coral reefs. Plastic bags, plastic water bottles, cigarette butts and candy wrappers were part of the 90-kgs of garbage collected by the volunteer divers and sponsors. PNP Maritime Command Director Angelo Sunglao, an avid environmental advocate and scuba diver himself, graced the ceremonies and expressed his appreciation for the efforts of the 63 volunteer divers who participated in the two-day clean-up.

According to the World Bank 2005 Philippine Environment Monitor, one square kilometer of healthy coral reef generates an estimated P2.5 million from fishing and tourism. Unfortunately, reports show that over 70 percent of our reefs are damaged and that only four to five percent remain in excellent condition.

In supporting the activity, Petron corporate affairs manager Virginia Ruivivar noted, “Petron sees the importance of conserving our marine resources, and recently signed a strategic agreement with the Word Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) to expand conservation efforts in the Tubbataha Reef, Southeast Asia’s only UNESCO World Heritage Site in the marine environment. Petron has committed up to P50 million over the next five years to fund programs aimed at improving livelihood, food security and sustainable natural resource management in the municipality of Cagayancillo which has jurisdiction over the reef.”