IRIN
PHILIPPINES: Toxic cargo in sunken ship remains intact say specialists
30 July 2008


MANILA , 30 July 2008 (IRIN) - UN and EU specialists brought in to help 
Philippine authorities retrieve toxic cargo from a sunken passenger 
ferry have not detected any leaks or oil spills emanating from the 
doomed vessel, according to a UN relief official.

They gathered water samplings for chemical tests and are now preparing a 
final report for the Philippine government's special task force on the 
Princess of the Stars, said Andrew MacLeod, who oversees coordinated 
relief operations for the UN in the country.

"The initial verbal report that they have given is that there has been 
no leak of oil or chemicals detected from the sunken ferry," MacLeod 
told IRIN, even as he warned that "circumstances could change" with the 
onset of new typhoons that may hit the country and dislodge the wreckage 
from its current position off Sibuyan island, in the central 
Philippines.

"It's a necessity that further monitoring for any leaks must continue," 
he said, adding that tests were conducted in laboratories overseas from 
samples taken from the site. He said the UN team was also impressed by 
the government's response in protecting the immediate environment and 
preventing an ecological disaster. Fishermen in Sibuyan are still barred 
from fishing near the island and local residents are largely relying on 
relief supplies, officials there said.

With more than 800 people and 10MT of the agricultural chemical 
endosulfan on board, the Princess of the Stars ferry sailed into the eye 
of Typhoon Fengshen on 21 June, after its captain ignored warnings by 
the state weather bureau. It listed to one side before capsizing. Only 
100 bodies have so far been recovered; 57 people survived.

Fengshen left more than 1,500 dead or missing as it cut a swath of 
destruction through the central Philippines, including Panay island, 
where flood-waters inundated entire towns, destroyed vital 
infrastructure and agricultural lands and swept away communities.

Rescuers felt endangered in their search and retrieval operations after 
news of the toxic cargo was made public, forcing authorities to seek 
outside help.

The owner of the vessel, Sulpicio Lines Inc., has signed a deal with a 
foreign salvage company to retrieve the bodies and oil first, although 
no timetable has been set. Sulpicio is alleged to be having a hard time 
putting up financial guarantees for the salvage company, further 
complicating the problem.

Sulpicio is blamed for the country's worst maritime accidents, including 
the 1987 collision between its Dona Paz vessel and a small oil tanker. 
More than 4,000 were killed but the company was absolved of any criminal 
liability.

MacLeod said the International Maritime Organization (IMO) had also 
dispatched a specialist to help in technical matters involving the 
salvage operations, and stressed the UN remains ready to continue to 
provide further assistance to relief operations if requested.

"So long as the chemical does not leak, there is no immediate danger, 
other than the impact it has already had on the reef," MacLeod said.

Meanwhile, MacLeod said, in the next few days he was scheduled to meet 
officials from Iloilo city, Panay Island, one of the areas that bore the 
brunt of the Typhoon Fengshen to assess and lay the foundations for 
long-term emergency assistance.

"Long-term rehabilitation is often forgotten by the international 
media," said MacLeod. "A joint mission by the UN, the ILO [International 
Labour Organization], UNDP [UN Development Programme] and FAO [Food and 
Agriculture Organization], will be in place to find out [what] to look 
at in terms of long-term rehabilitation needs," MacLeod said.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Appropriate Donations for International Disaster/Humanitarian Needs
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Center for International              web: www.cidi.org
.  Disaster Information          listserv: www.cidi.org/listsub.htm
.                              guidelines: www.cidi.org/donate.htm
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -