The Pandacan Oil Depot: A Disaster Waiting to Happen

An Urgent Appeal From Advocates for Environmental and Social Justice (AESJ)

The disaster caused by the BP oil rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico is another stark reminder that the potential threat of deadly accidents from technical failure or human error and terrorist attacks in these oil industry facilities remain a constant reality. No amount of assurances about technical safety in accord with international standards can ensure 100% security to life, the environment and the economy. At this point, one can only take measures to mitigate the deadly consequences of such accidents and attacks. Unfortunately, oil companies like Chevron, despite much advertised avowals of social responsibility, continue to ignore such precautions especially in developing countries like the Philippines.

At the heart of Manila, spanning 36 hectares, lies a ticking time bomb, the Pandacan oil depot, owned and operated by Chevron together with Shell and Petron, a locally-owned company. Containing 313 million liters of gasoline, diesel, bunker fuel, jet fuel and other highly volatile chemical substances, the giant facility, one of the largest in the world, lies amidst populated areas, sprawled along Manila’s Pasig River system that, by a short distance, reaches out to the country’s principal harbor in Manila Bay and Laguna Lake, the country’s largest inland body of water. A major explosion in the Pandacan oil depot has the potential of wreaking havoc not only in the immediate surrounding communities but also in these water systems with the communities along its banks and the transport, trade and industry that it serves.

Unfortunately, the Pandacan oil depot has no real buffer zone to speak of. Some years ago, as a reaction to protests, Shell and Petron belatedly put a farcical “buffer zone” of 8 to 15 meters, which they even cynically turned, into so-called “linear parks” for the surrounding communities’ leisure and recreation! For Chevron, the loading bay for its tankers fronts the main and busy thoroughfare of Pandacan and together with its storage tanks lie just a wall away from a church-run high school of 3000 students and a populated community.

Accidents have occurred in the past within and outside the Pandacan oil depot including explosions along its pipeline from nearby Batangas province, leaks in its storage tanks, and exploding tankers on the road. These accidents have claimed lives, injured many and destroyed substantial property. But they are as yet simply lucky close calls. In much smaller facilities in US, UK, Canada, Puerto Rico, India and elsewhere, technical failures and human error have triggered massive explosions which spread out as far as 2 to 3 kilometers away. Add to this the ongoing and very real threat of terrorist attacks. A similar blast in Pandacan could potentially the biggest disaster waiting to happen in the petrochemical industry.

Many proposals in the past to relocate the depot have mysteriously been abandoned or circumvented. The more recent, more progressive and bold ones have been Manila City Ordinance 8027 and Ordinance 8119. These city legislation gained strong and popular support, the former even having been affirmed and praised in a remarkable decision by the Philippine Supreme Court for putting primacy to right to life (of residents) over right to property (of the oil companies). The high court's decision would have allowed the gradual but definite phase and relocation of the oil depot to a safer place.

The hard-won victory of the people was however reversed immediately. City Ordinance NO. 8187 was railroaded, in the guise of a zoning ordinance, permitting the introduction into Manila of highly pollutive and extremely hazardous industries to accommodate the continued stay of the oil depot in Pandacan. Instead of protecting the environment, the safety and health of the people, the continued stay of the depot serves the interests of the oil companies.

Clearly, oil depots are never safe from technical failure, human accidents or terrorist attacks; the only safe measure that can be adopted is for the oil depot to be located in an area with a proper buffer zone from the nearest communities. 

ALTERNATIVES: An appeal for life and the environment

Phase out and relocation of the Pandacan oil depot to a safer place is the only answer. The area occupied by the depot can then be developed anew and pave the way for the establishment of commercial enterprises, service institutions like schools, clinics or a hospital, recreational and cultural facilities as well as affordable housing for the urban poor of Manila. The possibilities for development as well as new and much greater employment opportunities are varied and numerous.

To avoid disaster and to uphold life, health and the environment with these alternatives, we appeal to Chevron’s AGM to swiftly and decisively take the lead in working out a phase-by-phase plan to relocate the Pandacan oil depot to a safer area. We propose that Chevron AGM set up a special commission which will, together, with relevant US NGOs concerned with the Pandacan oil depot issue as well as with Pandacan stakeholders, undertake an investigation of the actual situation of Chevron’s facility in Pandacan and explore appropriate sites and requirements for the soonest possible relocation.

Advocates for Environmental and Social Justice (AESJ)

Manila, Philippines

Pandacan Leaders Host Oil Depot Forum February 2010

PUP Hosts Anti-Pollution Campaign
Juvien Galano, PUP News, Volume VII, Issue No. 4, February 16-28, 2010

"Implication of Oil Depot to the School and Community Life" was the theme of the forum held at the OVPRD Audio Visual Room of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines Mabini Campus on February 7, 2010. This information dissemination campaign is focused on increasing awareness of the threats posed by the Pandacan Oil Depot in Pandacan, Manila.

Leaders from different organizations gathered in this event to give their insights and ideas about what may happen if disasters involving the oil depot arise. The gathering was opened by a presentation of videos from different parts of the world with accidents, primarily explosions, in oil depots.

As stressed by Mr. Tito Roque, board member of Advocates for Environmental and Social Justice, the countries in the video presentaion do not only meet the minimum requirements but exceeded the security and precautionary facilities and processes to ensure their safety from unexpected circumstances.

This is the same contention the organizers of the forum are trying to bring up aside from the depot's proximity in residential areas and schools. Together with AESJ, the College of Arts Department of Psychology Committee on Extension and Community Outreach, Department of Humanities, Institute of Social History/Research Institute for Politics and Economics, Teachers and Employees Association for Change, Education Reforms, and Solidarity, Inc. were all in unity in the call to relocate the oil depot.

Another issue that was raised and should really be taken into serious consideration by the people who run the Pandacan Oil Depot is its age. The facilities in the 33 hectare land, according to Mr. Roque, are already 94 years old and may be wearing out by now.

AESJ secretary general Mr. Sixto Carlos laid all the propositions on the post-relocation phase of the oil depot. Their organization is suggesting to convert the land area, which is currently housed by three big oil companies Chevron (Caltex), Shell, and Petron, for a low cost housing project for the urban poor. Also, a portion of it may be turned into a commercial area, a school, or probably a hospital.

March of last year, the Supreme Court has released a decision in favor of relocation of the oil depot but a counter action was signed by the City of Manila through City Ordinance 8187 that did not only give right to the oil depot to stay but allowed its management to put up another industry in the vicinity of oil depot compound.

To resolve the issue, the concerned organizations promised to continue to fight for the safety and general welfare of the people of Manila and neighboring cities that are also threatened by existence of the oil depots.

Statement: Repeal Ordinance 8187!

STATEMENT
ADVOCATES FOR ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL JUSTICE (AESJ)
AUGUST 25, 2009

Repeal Ordinance 8187! Relocate the Pandacan Oil Depot Now!

The Advocates for Environmental and Social Justice (AESJ) joins other concerned citizens of Manila in pushing for a People’s Initiative aimed at repealing Manila City Ordinance 8187. Approved by Mayor Alfredo Lim and his cohorts in the city council, Ordinance 8187 allows the huge and dangerous oil depot to remain in Pandacan, once more putting profits of the oil companies over and above the health, security and lives of people. The People’s Initiative is a legal instrument by which the people could directly, through a signature campaign and eventually a plebiscite, junk laws and ordinances that go against their welfare.

After the petition of more than 2000 Manila citizen-signatories to repeal Ordinance 8187 has been rejected by the Manila city council, the concerned citizens and groups behind the People’s Initiative are now petitioning the COMELEC to carry out its responsibility under the law to set up the necessary mechanism by which Manila voters through their signatures can signify their opposition to Ordinance 8187. We, the People’s Initiative on Ordinance 8187, are confident in collecting the necessary number of signatures that will pave the way to holding a Manila-wide plebiscite on the Repeal of Ordinance 8187. We hope COMELEC would ensure the realization of a legitimate exercise allowing people to have a decisive say on an issue, that the Supreme Court itself on the oil depot said, is an issue of the right to life.

Oil Depot: a threat to people’s lives

Contrary to claims of the oil companies and their allies in the city government, oil depots can never be safe from accidents caused by technical and human failures and also from terrorist attacks; the catastrophic accidents in oil depots even in highly developed countries prove this. The only safety measure that can be adopted is for them to relocate in areas with sufficient buffer zone from the nearest communities. The various accidents that have occurred over the years within and outside the Pandacan oil depot involving accidental explosions along its pipeline, leaks in its storage tanks, its exploding tankers on the road and the like have simply been lucky close calls. The Pandacan oil depot certainly remains a disaster waiting to happen.

Right to Life and Public Trust Betrayed

The long and difficult struggle to relocate the Pandacan oil depot finally bore fruit with a landmark decision of the Supreme Court in 2008 and which it re-affirmed in 2009. The Supreme Court recognized the validity of City Ordinance 8027 which ordered the relocation of the Pandacan oil depot. It upheld the local government’s powers to enact legislation for the general welfare of the city and even praised the precedence given by the ordinance to the right to life (of the residents) over the right to property and profits (of the oil companies). The Supreme Court thus ordered the phase out and eventual relocation of the Pandacan oil depot.

But within a matter of weeks and against widespread public opposition, Mayor Lim, the vice-mayor and their cohort councilors have railroaded the passage of City Ordinance 8187 which permits highly pollutive and extremely hazardous industries in Manila allowing thus the continued stay of the oil depot in Pandacan. They preferred to betray public trust and serve the interests of the oil companies instead of protecting life, health and the environment.

Alternatives: A Call to Action

Phase out and relocation of the oil depot is the only answer.

The Big 3 (Shell, Caltex, Pteron) and their mouth pieces in the city hall have argued that relocation will result in economic problems because of a loss of livelihood opportunities. Ironically, only 5% of their “employees” are Pandacan residents, and 60% of their employees are contractual and have no security of tenure in their work.

Moreover, relocation does not mean loss of jobs for the general economy but only a relocation of job opportunities to another part of Luzon. The gradual removal and relocation of the oil depot will also actually generate additional employment as more workers will be needed to carry out the process. Meanwhile, current employees are given time to look for other jobs or may be transferred to where the depots will be relocated.

The area occupied by the depot can then be developed anew and pave the way for the establishment of commercial enterprises, service institutions like schools, clinics or hospitals, recreational facilities as well as affordable housing for the urban poor of Manila. The possibilities for development as well as new and more employment opportunities are varied and numerous.

To avoid disaster and to uphold life, health and the environment with these alternatives, we must act swiftly and decisively to repeal City Ordinance 8187 through the People’s Initiative (local initiative) as provided under the Local Government Code.

We Manilenos have filed a petition for local initiative to repeal City Ordinance No. 8187. At least 10% of registered voters in Manila are needed to sign the petition.

We call on fellow Manilenos and concerned citizens to join us in this decisive battle to defend our beloved city from the dangers it faces. We must save Pandacan, we must save Manila!