Fishermen affected by oil drilling seek relief

A fishermen’s group is now calling on the local government units of Pinamungajan and Aloguinsan to urge the Japanese contractor conducting oil and gas exploratory activities in Tañon Strait to give them immediate relief.

Vince Cinches, executive director of the Fishermen Development Center, said that because of the oil drilling activities done on the waters of said two municipalities, local fishermen have lost their main source of livelihood.

With this, he said that the local governments of the two towns should negotiate with the Japan Petroleum Explorations Co. Ltd. to ask for “immediate just relief” for the affected fishermen.

“Angay lang nga mohatag ang JAPEX og hulip sa nawagtang sa mga mananagat nga nagsalig sa pangisda aron mabuhi ilang tagsa-tagsa ka pamilya. Ang usa ka sako sa duha ka bulan dili makahulip sa unsa man nga nawagtang sa ilaha,” Cinches said.

He explained that the local leaders of Pinamungajan and Aloguinsan already knew that the area where the floater rig of JAPEX is located is the traditional fishing ground of fishermen in the area.

“Asa na sila mangisda karon nga gidid-an na sila pagduol sulod sa 1.5-kilometer radius? Dili pod sila kapangita og laing fishing ground kay unsa ma’y capacity sa ilahang fishing gear sa lawod?” Cinches added.

“On behalf of the fisherfolk, we lobby to the local government officials of Pinamungajan and Aloguinsan to sit down and talk with JAPEX and ask for immediate relief for the affected fishermen,” he said.

Fishermen in the area said that they are no longer allowed to fish near the oil rig built by JAPEX now being guarded by boats of the Coast Guard.

Fortunato Mercado, who has 11 children and who claimed to have been fishing since he was 10 years old, said their fish catch was greatly affected by the oil drilling. Mercado is the chairman of Pamata, a group of local fishermen.

“Sa una makakuha mi og sobra 20 kilos ang adlaw, karon mga tulo o upat ka kilo na lang kay dili na mi paduolon diha (area where the oil rig is located). Diha gyod mi permi mangisda kay isdaon man na diha nga area,” Mercado said.

He added that a sack of rice given to them by the Japanese contractor is not even enough to last for a month.

Local fisherfolk kicked off with their protest activity last Wednesday and will continue until the oil drilling ends. The Department of Energy earlier said that the exploratory activities will only last for two months.

The DOE had contracted the service of JAPEX to undertake an offshore oil and gas exploration project in Tañon Strait which, it said, has about one billion barrel of oil deposits.

The Japanese contractor had put up a floater rig in the area early this week, but it was only yesterday when it formally started the drilling operation. It will drill its first oil well at 3,000 meters below the sea surface. 

DOE said that if JAPEX confirms the existence of oil/gas, it will continue digging and start commercial operation, which is expected to provide additional income and livelihood to the local government. – Wenna A. Berondo/MEEV