Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SIXTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No._ 1932

Introduced by Representatives
DIOSOADO 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

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, 1990, oil spilled out near the shores of Limay,
Bataan where some 200,000 liters of industrial fuel oil leaked out from a
sunken Mr Fernando. This incident resulted in the killing of several species
of fish and crustaceans, which are the mar. 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. Oil also spilled from the
sinking of the Sea Brothers tanker which collided with a Petron tanker.

4) In August 1999, another oil tanker M/Tkr Maryann sunk and
spilled oil 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 oil in the Bolinao 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, MT Solar 1 carrying 2 Million
liters of Industrial or bunker fuel oil sank approximately 10 nautical miles
south of Guimaras immediately leaking 200,000 liters of oil. 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 billis earnestly sought

DIOSDADO MACAPAGAL ARROYO GLORIA MACAPAGAL ARROYO
Second District, Camarines Sur Second District, Pampanga

wv


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SIXTEENT CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No._ 1932

Introduced by Representatives
DIOSDADO MACAPAGAL ARROYO and GLORIA MACAPAG.AL 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
2013”

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 (P1,000,000,000.00)each to be
utilized exclusively for cleaning operations Incase of oil spill within the country's
territorial waters

Section 4. Any oil company which fails to install oil spill preventive and
control mechanism on its tankers, if 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 suffered 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 §. 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 general circulation

Approved,