AN official from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) said not all fishermen are affected by the ongoing exploratory oil-drilling operations by a Japanese in Tañon Strait—the sea between the islands of Cebu and Negros.

Lou Arciaga, information officer of BFAR in Central Visayas, said her office’s preliminary studies indicated that a majority of the fishermen, especially along the coastline of southwestern Cebu, do not fish near the area where a temporary oil rig was anchored.

“We are only talking about the 1.5- kilometer security radius around the rig where fishermen cannot fish. That is around 176 hectares of seawater,” she told the BusinessMirror.

“The fishermen who fish near the coast are not affected. Fishermen who go further out to sea are not affected.”

Arciaga is a member of the multi-partite monitoring team (MMT) tasked to oversee the environmental impact, if any, of the 60-day oil exploration in Tañon Strait. The BFAR is tasked by the team to lead a group to gather baseline data and determine the effect of the exploration on nearby fishing communities.

Arciaga, however, said BFAR’s findings were only temporary and would need confirmed by further studies which may be completed after the whole operation in Tañon is completed.

She said the results of the studies could be used as basis by fishermen when they claim for compensation for the effects of the oil drill to their livelihood.

Japan Petroleum Exploration (Japex) Philippines Ltd. general manager Shigehiro Moriya earlier told the MMT over the weekend that Japex would compensate fishermen “for actual damages” caused by the oil exploration.

An official from Japex’s local agent, Supply Oilfield Services Inc. (SOS), said it is also adjusting its operations to the situation of the community, especially in the towns of Pinamungajan and Aloguinsan.

Senen Lazaro, vice president of SOS, said his company has personnel in the ground who are gathering sentiments of fishermen and local officials.

“We have already adjusted the scheduled trips of our supply ships going to and from the rig so they would not interfere with the fishermen,” he said.

Fishermen from Negros Occidental, despite their distance from the rig, also claimed they were affected due to the current in Tañon Strait.

Hernani Tiongson, who represented a fisherfolk organization in Negros Occidental, said in the event of oil spills or pollution from the rig, fishermen from Negros island would definitely be affected.

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT—The $57-million expansion program for the Subic Bay Industrial Park (SBIP) here is now attracting more investors from Taiwan, particularly those engaged in export manufacturing, research and development.

THE government of the Philippines and Japan will formally sign two projects under the 27th Yen Loan Package this week after a four-year suspension next week.

AN official of the Department of Agriculture (DA) on Monday cited biotechnology as the key to the country’s survival during these crucial times when the country is threatened by unfavorable weather conditions such as drought and supertyphoons that can adversely affect agricultural production.

Damage to crops and fisheries caused by typhoons Lando and Mina has already reached P109.7 million, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said Monday.

DAVAO CITY—A local food manufacturer here broke through the rich Middle Eastern market when it sent its initial shipment of 20 metric tons (MT) of frozen bananas last month, in a successful follow-through of the government-led trade mission to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in April this year.

AN official from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) said not all fishermen are affected by the ongoing exploratory oil-drilling operations by a Japanese in Tañon Strait—the sea between the islands of Cebu and Negros.

THE National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) Investment Coordination Committee (ICC) has accepted the counterproposal made by the project’s proponent, a consortium led by Universal LRT Corp. for the Metro Rail Transit 7 project.