Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva. Senate PRIB file photo / Bibo Nueva España
MANILA, Philippines — Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva on Thursday lamented the passive and sluggish response of the Department of Agriculture (DA) to the massive Feb. 28 oil spill off Oriental Mindoro, which had cost nearly a billion in livelihood sources.
Villanueva flew to the province for a situational briefing from the Philippine Coast Guard on the effects of the massive maritime disaster after the motor tanker Princess Empress sank in the waters near the towns of Nauhan and Pola, spilling up to 800,000 liters of industrial fuel.
“It’s unfortunate for me to say na iyong DA parang passive. I’m sorry to say that. But if you look at the records I’ve been monitoring the past weeks and nakita ko pa in person kung paano sila mag-respond… Ang tagal-tagal,” he said at a news conference.
(It’s unfortunate for me to say that the DA is seemingly passive. I’m sorry to say that. But if you look at the records I’ve been monitoring the past weeks and I even saw in-person how they respond to this…It’s very slow.)
Villanueva compared the DA, concurrently led by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., with other government bodies like the Department of Social Welfare and Development, and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, who had been “proactive” in addressing the oil spill.
“Ang buong Oriental Mindoro, 62 percent ng lahat ng pamilya dito ay dependent on agricultural sector. That’s why the DA would play a very important role,” he said.
(Sixty-two percent of the families in Oriental Mindoro are dependent on the agricultural sector. That’s why the DA would play a critical role.)
The legislator cited the lack of water and air quality testing equipment, which, he said, was even sourced through private entities.
“It’s very hard for me to say this but kailangan kalampagin iyong DA. Alam na natin na ito ay agricultural province and ano ang ginagawa nila? Sa darating na budget season, I will ask them [about] their efforts,” he said.
(It’s tough for me to say this but we should pound on the DA’s door. We already know this is an agricultural province and what are they doing? I will ask them about their efforts in the coming budget season.)
Villanueva also pointed out that the oil spill cleanup was just the “tip of the iceberg.”
He added that long-term solutions like a recovery roadmap for the livelihood of affected communities should likewise be pursued.
Push for Department of Disaster Resilience
Villanueva renewed the push for the creation of a Department of Disaster Resilience, countering criticisms claiming that the establishment of such would be redundant and against the Marcos administration’s aim of rightsizing the government.
“Rightsizing doesn’t really mean downsizing,” the senator said. “Ang rightsizing means you evaluate the system of the government. One department, for instance, may mga redundancy, pwede mong i-collapse to be more efficient. Iyan ang rightsizing.”
(Rightsizing means you evaluate the system of the government. For instance, a department with redundancies can be collapsed to be more efficient. That’s what rightsizing means.)
Villanueva noted that establishing a separate government body for disaster management is not redundant but rather needed.
“May ilang units of government offices na nandiyan na pwede mong dalhin at pag-isahin para naka-focus tayo. We will be more efficient because we are a country na ilang bagyo ang tumatama sa atin every year. Itong mga nararanasan natin, whether natural or manmade, we have to be prepared. And the only way to do that is if we have our very own department,” he said.
(Several units of government offices exist that we can bring and combine to focus on this. We will be more efficient because we are a country that encounters a number of storms every year. For these events that we experience, whether natural or man-made, we have to be prepared. And the only way to do that is if we have our very own department.)
READ: Calls for Dep’t of Disaster Resilience renewed in Senate after Karding onslaught
Several senators previously raised the alarm over the lack of coordinated disaster response to contain the massive oil spill.
Three resolutions have been filed in the Senate, seeking an inquiry, in aid of legislation, into the impacts of the maritime chaos in Oriental Mindoro.
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