ON JULY 3 an explosion occurred in Power Barge 102 owned and operated by AC Energy, an Ayala-owned company, which tore a large hole in its hull and leaked bunker fuel.

According to the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) station in Iloilo, 268,948 liters of bunker fuel leaked from the barge, affecting coastal villages in Iloilo City and neighboring areas.

We will not determine the extent of the damage if any; we leave that to the environment experts of the proper government agencies.

For sure there will be accountability, legal or otherwise, besides the fact that it is still too early to be talking about it; there are proper government agencies to determine this so we will just leave it at that.

What we’re going to talk about is the Social Responsibility of AC Energy and what they have done so far in fulfilling it.

Social responsibility means that individuals and companies have a duty to act in the best interests of their environment and society as a whole.

We’re going to take a look and discuss the immediate, follow-up and ongoing response of AC Energy to those affected i.e. community, people and the environment, as a good corporate citizen.

As soon as the fire on Power Barge 102 was contained and it was confirmed that the barge’s bunker fuel was leaking, this was the immediate response of AC Energy:

Excerpts from the July 6, issue of the Manila Standard:

AC Energy Philippines said it immediately activated containment protocols through containment booms but due to strong ocean waves, some of the fuel oil escaped the confinement area.

The leakage was contained at around 10 p.m. on July 3 with the rapid deployment of more than 170 combined personnel of the company and the Philippine Coast Guard with 14 boats and multilayered spill booms from the AC Energy Philippines, the Coast Guard, Petron Corp. and Global Business Power Corp.

“After containment, the company and the Coast Guard immediately started recovery of the remaining floating residue. Recovery capacity was increased with additional oil skimming equipment from Shell Philippines the following morning and another from the Company’s Power Barge 103 the next day.

And this was AC Energy’s follow up response:

“The company has engaged Harbor Star, a leading maritime services provider, to finish the clean-up of both the waters and the coastline, beginning with the inlet areas, followed by the coast, and then any offshore areas to recover and safely disperse any remaining oil residue,” AC Energy Philippines said in a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange.

AC Energy Philippines further said that the clean-up of the oil spill from Power Barge 102 in Barrio Obrero, Iloilo City is expected to be completed in the next 10 to 15 days.

As lessons were learned from the unfortunate incident and to prevent it from happening again this is AC Energy’s forward-looking action:

Excerpts from the July 13, 2020 issue of the Business Mirror:

The power firm has submitted its environmental management plan (EMP) to the DENR-Environmental Management Bureau (EMB), detailing plans to address the environmental impact of the oil spill. Among others, AC Energy said it would carry out the completion of oil spill cleanup and ensure that water quality is restored to safe levels; continue to monitor of air quality and ensuring that air quality is safe before affected families are allowed to return to their homes; properly collect and dispose of oil contaminated materials and wastes; and implement a rehabilitation plan for the affected mangrove areas and fisheries.

“Even with the submission of the EMP to the DENR-EMB, the company will continue to work closely and coordinate with the DENR, as well as with the various government bodies and agencies, including the local governments of Iloilo City and Guimaras, and the PCG, to implement the EMP and to take into account comments and other recommendations from these government units and agencies,” it added.

AC Energy has tapped US-based AECOM as third-party consultant to assist the company in the clean-up activities, among others.

Not bad. In fact it’s good but what about the people affected by the oil spill? Excerpts from the July 11, 2020 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer:

Iloilo oil spill evacuees now housed in hotels

From cramped and spartan rooms in evacuation centers, more than a thousand evacuees from areas affected by the oil spill in this city were transferred to air-conditioned hotel rooms starting Thursday evening.

About 336 families, or 1,240 individuals, from five evacuation centers were transferred to three hotels located in Mandurriao District here, namely, the District 21, the Diversion 21 and the Courtyard by Marriott Iloilo, according to Gabino Ramon Mejia, head of plant operations of AC Energy Philippines.

“We will provide them with air-conditioned rooms with toilets and television sets. We will also shoulder their food until they can return to their homes,” Mejia told the Inquirer.

Now that’s thinking out of the box, housing evacuees in luxury hotels instead of the usual evacuation centers.

Indeed, Ac Energy has more than enough fulfilled its social responsibility as a good corporate citizen./PN