No need for new Lauis lighthouse

Modern navigation aids and not a new lighthouse may be what is needed at the Lauis Ledge in Talisay City to prevent a repeat of the August 16 collision between the MV St. Thomas Aquinas and the Sulpicio Express Siete.

This was the opinion of Cebu station commander Weniel Azcuna of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).

“The Lauis Ledge lighthouse is operational. I don’t think we need another lighthouse there. But it will form part of the recommendations to be submitted by the Special Board of Marine Inquiry (SBMI),” Azcuna said.

He said that it will be the SBMI that will evaluate and decide if another lighthouse or more navigational aids will be needed in the area.

Aside from a lighthouse, other navigational aids like lighted buoys like those in an airport runway may be essential, Azcuna said.

The PCG official also reiterated the need to install a Vessel Traffic Management System in the Mactan Channel. The narrow channel leading to the port of Cebu is one of the busiest sea lanes in the country with traffic ranging from 200 to 300 vessels a day.

As of yesterday, the number of casualties from the sea mishap was 111 with 26 still missing. Retrieval operations will continue. Two of the more than 700 survivors are still confined in a hospital in Cebu City.

Spill clean-up

Meanwhile 2GO has reported that the oil spill cleanup operations in Cordova town have been upgraded to “normal mode from a previous emergency mode.”

“We have turned over the operations in the area to Genetron,” said 2GO assistant vice president Lito Salvio.

Genetron International Marketing was contracted by 2GO to properly dispose of the oil spill debris and other materials used in the Cordova cleanup.

The PCG is also continuously monitoring reports of oil spills in other municipalities in the province.

Azcuna confirmed reports that the spill reached Naga but this was quickly cleared from the area.

“Very minimal oil reached the pier of APO cement company and it was immediately addressed by them,” he said.

Cebu City Bantay Dagat head Ranulfo Sebusa said the oil spill still hasn’t reached the city and improvised oil spill booms made of coconut husks are already in place as a precautionary measure.