Verde Island Passage iligtas sa oil spill — solon

Ni NOEL ABUEL

Nanawagan ang isang kongresista ng agresibong paglilinis sa oil spill na nakakaapekto na sa ilang lugar ng Batangas partikular sa Mabini, Bauan, Lobo, San Luis, San Pascual at Tingloy.

Ang apela ay ginawa ni Batangas 2nd district Rep. Gerville “Jinky Bitrics” Luistro, sa pagsasabing ang lahat ng mga munisipalidad ay sakop ng kanyang distrito.

Sinasabing ang oil spill ay nakarating na sa Oriental Mindoro at nagbabanta sa Verde Island Passage (VIP).

Tinutukoy ng mga Marine experts at convervationist ang Verde Island Passage bilang “center of the center of marine shore fish biodiversity” at most diverse marine ecosystem sa buong mundo.

Ito ay nasa gitna ng Coral Triangle, na matatagpuan sa Pilipinas, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands at Timor-Leste at nasa 500 species ng reef-building corals at one-third ng lahat ng coral-reef fish species sa buong mundo.

“It is time for us to unite in bayanihan and be aggressive in containing and cleaning up the oil spill. I am sure the people in our district as well as the rest of Batangas, the islands of Mindoro, Romblon and nearby provinces, would volunteer and work to save the Verde Island Passage. We can tap the resources of the Department of Labor and Employment – Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (DOLE – TUPAD), Department of Social Work and Development Assistance for Individuals in Crisis Situations (DSWD – AICS), among other government funds for this purpose,” sabi ni Luistro, na may akda ng House Bill No. 6089, na nagdedeklara sa Verde Island Passage (VIP) bilang ecotourism zone.

Sinabi pa ng kongresista na ang Verde Island Passage ay hindi lamang must-see destination para sa lokal at dayuhang turista partikular para sa mga divers at marine enthusiasts.

“After the Covid19 pandemic, which closed our hotels, resorts and tourist destinations, resulting to loss of thousands of jobs and livelihood, now comes the oil spill. We need everyone’s help to clean up and contain this oil spill. We need to preserve this wealth of marine resources, highly diverse coral reefs, pristine waters, mangrove forests, seagrass meadows and coastal environs in the Verde Island Passage,” panawagan pa ni Luistro, na vice chairperson ng House Committee on Tourism.