JORDAN, GUIMARAS – Guimaras officials have scored the Department of Environment and Natural Resources for implementing oil spill rehabilitation projects in areas not affected by the oil spill.

Guimaras Gov. Felipe Nava said the DENR had implemented livelihood projects using rehabilitation funds even in communities that were hardly affected by the Aug. 11, 2006 oil spill.

“I’m not contented with what’s happening. We are in the dark and we don’t know if these are beneficial to the people of Guimaras. I think we should correct this (because) we are wasting precious money,” Nava said during a presentation of updates on the rehabilitation programs marking the second anniversary of the oil spill held on Monday.

The DENR has implemented a livelihood project for oil spill-affected areas costing P35.451 million, with P29.7 million intended for Guimaras Island.

The amount was part of the P130 million allotted to the DENR from the P867.4-million rehabilitation fund for areas affected by the oil spill that occurred when the MT Solar 1 chartered by Petron Corp. sank in stormy seas off Guimaras. The cargo ship spilled more than 2.1 million liters of bunker fuel oil it was transporting from Bataan to Zamboanga.

Projects

The DENR projects include the production and utilization of “sibukao” (false sandalwood) in Barangay Taminla and bamboo production and processing in Barangay Dagsaan. Both villages are in Buenavista town.

DENR Regional Technical Director Alicia Lustica said the projects benefit 60 households in Dagsaan and 150 residents in Taminla.

But Jimmy Baban, provincial planning and development officer, said the projects should be focused in the towns of Nueva Valencia and Sibunag.

Nueva Valencia is the worst affected by the oil spill of the province’s five municipalities. Sibunag was also affected because the oil spill hit the southwest portion of the island.

Hardly affected

Baban pointed out that Buenavista, located in the northeast section of Guimaras and where the DENR projects are located, was hardly affected by the oil spill.

“The rehabilitation fund was supposed to be given to those who lost their livelihood during the oil spill,” Baban said.

Nava lamented the implementation of the DENR projects despite the holding of two meetings between stakeholders and government agencies last year to coordinate programs and efforts to avoid duplication and to ensure the actual needs of affected communities.

“We did interfacing sessions because we have limited funds and we want to maximize the impact. But (the DENR) spent P35 million for only five organizations. We have to use the money wisely,” Nava said.

Lustica said the projects in Buenavista benefit people’s organizations of the Community-Based Forest Management (CBFM) areas.

Even if they are in upland areas, the residents were also affected by the oil spill, she said.

Lustica said the DENR also has livelihood projects in Nueva Valencia but she said other agencies also have projects in the area, which the DENR does not want to duplicate.