Friday 25 February 2011

Guimaras folk need psych support


By Nestor P. Burgos Jr.
Inquirer Visayas Bureau
November 30, 2008

ILOILO CITY, Philippines — Social scientists have recommended continued psychosocial monitoring and support for Guimaras residents affected by the massive oil spill two years ago after a study showed that most of them were still traumatized by the calamity.
The study conducted by former University of the Philippines in the Visayas chancellor Ida Siason, showed a “significant level of psycho-social distress” among 42 percent to 73 percent of around 250 survey respondents from seven highly and moderately affected barangay (villages).
The villages are mostly in Nueva Valencia town, the hardest hit of the province’s five municipalities. (Click PDI for the rest.)
h1

Guimaras marine life still struggling

November 28, 2008
By Nestor P. Burgos Jr.
Philippine Daily Inquirer
11/27/2008

ILOILO CITY, Philippines — The oil sludge may not be visible anymore but scientists say the damage to marine resources of Guimaras Island has persisted two years after a massive oil spill ravaged the island.
The scientific studies showed abnormalities in the breeding and growth of mangroves, sea grass, marine animals and sea cucumbers, and attributed these mainly to the contamination of the marine environment by bunker fuel from the sunken M/T Solar I.
The studies, presented Thursday during the opening of the two-day Second National Conference on Solar I Oil Spill, showed the marine resources still suffered from stress brought by the contamination despite showing signs of recovery. (Click here for the rest.)
h1

UP Visayas hosts nat’l oil spill conference

November 27, 2008
Visayan Daily Star
Nov. 27, 2008

The University of the Philippines-Visayas will host a two-day national conference starting today on the updates of the impact of the Solar 1 oil spill in Guimaras more than two years ago.
The gathering, themed “Two Years After the Solar 1 Oil Spill: Where Are We?”, will be held at the Auditorium of UPV Iloilo City campus.
Organized under the Oil Spill Response Program, the conference will be participated by the Core University Program, UPV and Kagoshima University Faculty of Fisheries, the Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science-Department of Science and Technology, and the Province of Guimaras. (Read the rest here.)