Antipolo City oil spill, 80% contained

MANILA, Philippines - Around 80 percent of the oil spill that affected the rivers of Morong and Teresa towns in Rizal province has been contained, according to the an official of the cement manufacturing plant in Antipolo City where the bunker oil came from.

 

Chito Maniago, Solid Cement Corp. director for Corporate Communications and Public Affairs, said around 300 volunteers from the local government units , Philippine Coast Guard and the company's personnel helped contain the oil spill.

 

"As of yesterday, the Coast Guard reported an 80 percent containment...at hindi na umabot ng Laguna Lake," Maniago said on Saturday. 

 

He also clarified that what the Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) issued to the company was not a cease and desist order (CDO) but a show cause order.

 

CDO will stop the operations of the firm while a show cause order will require the company management to present documents within 15 days and explain why it should not be penalized or be issued a CDO. 

 

"The company is fully operational," Maniago said. "The company will be submitting documents to the LLDA next week." 

 

Last September 7, a bunker fuel oil (BFO) storage inside the Solid Cement plant in Antipolo City leaked as one of the valves to the storage  was not closed. 

 

"It is estimated that about 2,000 Liters of BFO flowed out of our plant premises. The strong rain on the night of the incident swept the BFO from the plant drainage to the nearby creek which leads to the Tagbak River," the company statement said.