Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No. 4607

Introduced by Representatives
DIOSDADO MACAPAGAL ARROYO and GLORIA MACAPAGAL ARROYO

—_——_— Ke

AN ACT
REQUIRING OIL COMPANIES TO INSTALL OIL SPILLAGE PREVENTIVE
AND CONTROL MECHANISMS IN THEIR TANKERS AND TO UNDERTAKE
IMMEDIATE CLEANING OPERATIONS IN THE EVENT OF OiL SPILLS
WITHIN THE COUNTRY’S TERRITORIAL WATERS, PROVIDING PENALTIES
FOR VIOLATION THEREOF, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This bill seeks to require oil companies to install oil ‘spill preventive and
control facilities in their tankers and to undertake immediate and mandatory
cleaning operations in the event of another oil spill within the country's territorial
waters.

Incidents of oil spills have been prevalent in Philippine territorial waters.
Below are just some of these incidents:

1) On January 25, 1999, oil spilled out near the shores of Limay, Bataan
where some 200,000 liters of industrial fuel oit leaked out from a sunken
M/T Femando. This incident resutted in the killing of several species of
fish and crustaceans, which are the main sources of livelihood for the
fishermen residing in the coastal towns of Bataan.

2) Nine years after, on February 1999, thousands of liters of oil and
gasoline also spilled out as two (2) tankers collided in the same coastal
area, Bataan residents claimed that if the agencies tasked in clearing the
Limay waters of oil had promptly acted by undertaking the cleaning
operations, it would have lessened the number of losses on marine life in
the affected areas. Marine scientists from the University of the


Philippines-Marine Science Institute said that fishes caught from the
affected areas could be “potentially carcinogenic.” It likewise rendered the
area's water supply unsafe thus posing a grave danger on the people's.
lives.

3) In October 1998. the Sulpicio Lines-owned Princess of the Orient
Spilled out oil in Manila Bay. A year after in March 1999, 420,000 liters of
bunker oil leaked into the breakwater of Manila Bay. Qil also spilled from
the sinking of the Sea Brothers tanker which collided with a Petron tanker.

4) In August 1999, another oil tanker M/T Maryann sunk and spilled olf
over a wide coastal area of Talaga Beach somewhere in the Luzon sea at
the height of the storm.

5) Aside from the foregoing, a Singapore-registered Schedar ship, one of
the first 10 out of 38 ships contracted to bring 70,000 tons of coal to the
Sual Power Plant in Pangasinan, spilled oi in the Bolinaa coastal area on
January 22, 2000 as a result of the damage in the hull of said ship. The
ship caused pollution which badly affected fishing villages, killing stocks
worth millions of pesos as reported by the Philippine Coast Guard.

6) More recently, on August 11, 2006, M/T Solar 4 carrying 2 Million liters
of industrial or bunker fuel oil sank approximately 10 nautical miles south
of Guimaras immediately leaking 200,000 liters of oii. It sailed two days
before from Bataan to deliver oil to the Western Mindanao Power
Corporation. The 998-ton single-hull vessel was owned by Sunshine
Maritime, a hauler for Petron Corporation. The Guimaras Oil Spill is
considered the worst oil spill disaster in the Philippine maritime history in
terms of damages to marine resources and livelihood of the people in the
affected areas, and in the volume of oil spilled to our seas.

From these incidents, it is quite obvious that oil spills have caused

extreme damage to our marine resources. If this continues, soon enough,
Philippine coastal resources will be greatly decimated and will just be a part of
history. Our efforts to preserve marine life and provide a healthy environment to
the coming generation are thus wasted.

Thus, expeditious approval of this bill is eamestly sought.

DIOSDADO La ARROYO. GLORIA MACAPAGAL ARROYO

‘Second District, Camarines Sur Second District, Pampanga


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No. 4607

Introduced by Representatives
DIOSDADO MACAPAGAL ARROYO and GLORIA MACAPAGAL ARROYO

AN ACT
REQUIRING OIL COMPANIES TO INSTALL OIL SPILLAGE PREVENTIVE
AND CONTROL MECHANISMS IN THEIR TANKERS AND TO UNDERTAKE
IMMEDIATE CLEANING OPERATIONS IN THE EVENT OF OIL SPILLS
WITHIN THE COUNTRY’S TERRITORIAL WATERS, PROVIDING PENALTIES.
FOR VIOLATION THEREOF, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
Philippines in Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. This Act shall be known as the “Oil Spill Prevention Act of
1"

SECTION 2. Oil companies are hereby required to install oil spillage
preventive and control mechanism in their tankers and to undergo immediate
cleaning operations in the event of oil spill within the country's territorial waters.

SECTION 3. For the purpose of this Act, oil companies shall be required
to set aside at least One Million Pesos (P1,000,000.00) each to be utilized
‘exclusively for cleaning operations in case of oil spilt within the country's territorial
waters.

SECTION 4. Any oil company which fails to install oil spilt preventive and
control mechanism on its tankers, in violation of this Act shall be punished by
imprisonment of not less than two (2) years but not more than five (5) years to be
sufffered by its responsible officers or a fine of not less than Five Hundred


Thousand Pesos (P500,000.00) but not more than One Million Pesos
{P1,000,000.00) or both fine and imprisonment, at the discretion of the Court
without prejudice to other civil liability arising there from.

SECTION 5. The Department of Transportation and Communications, in
coordination with the Philippine Ports Authority, the Philippine Coast Guard, the
Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Maritime Industry
Authority shall promulgate the rules and regulations for the implementation of this
Act.

SECTION 6. All laws, decrees, orders, rules and regulations or any part
thereof inconsistent herewith are hereby repealed, modified or amended
accordingly.

SECTION 7. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication
in at least two (2) newspapers of generat circulation.

Approved,