STO. DOMINGO, Albay -- Over seven hectares of rice fields in this town have been affected by oil spill that reportedly emanated from Pacific Cordage Corp, a fiber rope industry owned by a Taiwanese national here.

Caption: The plant site of Pacific Cordage Inc., that allegedly caused oil spillage in Sto. Domingo, Albay, owned by a Taiwanese national. RHAYDZ B. BARCIA

        Residents of Lidong village complained of putrid smell that might trigger pulmonary diseases specifically among children.

        “We can not tell the extent of damages to the rice farms but in a week or two the palay might rot to waste due to chemical contamination,” Lidong Barangay Chairman Rogerio Baloloy said.

        The oil spill was discovered at around 4:00 a.m., Wednesday last week, according to Roland Balanta, 27, a farmer. Balanta was trying to clean up his farm of the oil spill this reporter visited the affected areas.

Caption: A farmer in Sto. Domingo town shows a sample of oil residue that ran off his farmland on January 16. RHAYDZ B. BARCIA

        Municipal Mayor Celso de los Angeles told Bicol Mail that he immediately organized a quick reaction team composed of disaster officials to contain the spillage.

        He said he also directed the health and environmental authorities to conduct water sampling to check possible water contamination and its harmful effect to marine life. “The run-off from the farmlands extended to as far as the coastline of Lidong, so I asked the health and environment officials to conduct water sampling,” Angeles said.

        “The management of the Pacific Cordage Corp., helped out to contain the spillage by providing abaca materials to help absorb the oil and collect them for proper disposal,” he said.

        Angeles said he warned the management of Pacific Cordage Corporation that his office would not grant nor renew the company’s permit until such time that safety and preventive measures have been put in place to ensure that the incident would not happen again.

        Nelson Torre, chief of staff of Coast Guard District in Bicol reported that about five drums of oil spill directly affected the farmlands of this town although Mayor De los Angeles believed that more than five drums had spilled over the farmlands. Bobby B. Balasulla, officer-in-charge of municipal engineering office, reported to the municipal mayor that the oil spill took place when the fiber company was conducting its regular maintenance works.