Spill-affected fishers seek cash

They may be receiving relief goods, but fisherfolk in Cordova town affected by the oil spill want cash assistance from 2Go Shipping Co.

“Those aren’t enough and we have other needs for our family. How about the fare and school fees we need to pay for our children?” 54-year-old Teodolo Jumao-as, chairman of the Municipal Fisherfolk Aquatic Resource Management said.

He said for the past two weeks, they have only received relief goods.

“It’s Saturday now, I’m sad because we’re saving assistance they give us,” Jumao-as said.

More than 3,000 fishermen in Cordova are affected by the oil spill that resulted from the sinking of the MV St. Thomas Aquinas.

Last Thursday, Jumao-as and the other fishermen received three kilos of rice, four cans of sardines, and two packs of noodles.

Jumao-as said he sells crabs to augment his income while waiting for the next delivery of relief goods. “People are afraid to buy fish from us as they are worried those were affected by the oil spill,” he said.

Jumao-as said prior to the oil spill, he sold crabs at P150 per kilo. After the oil spill he sells them for P120 or even lower.

His wife doesn’t work and he has two children and a grandchild to feed.

Lito Salvio, assistant vice president of 2GO said he will coordinate with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Cordova municipal government on this problem.

Cdr. Weniel Azcuna of the Philippine Coast Guard Cebu Station admits that oil continues to leak from the MV St. Thomas Aquinas. He said a Japanese ship equipped with oil containment gears will arrive in Cebu on Sept. 8 to reinforce efforts to stop oil from further leaking out of the sunken ship.

The 2GO management also paid for the board and lodging expenses at Sugbutel of 51 family members of the ship’s passengers.

Of that number, 11 of were survivors of the tragedy while 40 are relatives of missing passengers. “Their meals and accommodations in Sugbutel will be paid for by the company  ,” Salvio said.

He said they provided P5,000 as initial financial assistance to the affected families. “We will provide them with insurance as soon as we can,” Salvio added. As of yesterday, there were 98 fatalities and 39 missing people from the ill-fated MV St. Thomas Aquinas.

Azcuna said search and retrieval operations are still ongoing. He added that technical divers from the navy, coast guard and the coast guard auxiliary have searched almost all areas of the sunken vessel.

The MV St. Thomas Aquinas collided with the Sulpicio Express Siete owned by Philippine Asia Span Carrier (PSAC) off Lauis Ledge in Talisay City two weeks ago.