SIMIC

THE head of the Philippine Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga, has said that shipowners in the Philippines have agreed to collaborate to address gaps in oil spill prevention, reports the Vatican News.

Ms Loyzaga stated that the DENR and the shipowners will establish a technical working group that will develop policies and review legislation that requires updating.



She emphasized that the way people think about disasters must change, with more emphasis placed on prevention than response.



"We need to prevent the risk, and that needs to be translated into the policies, processes, and technical capacities of the people who are actually implementing these laws," Ms Loyzaga said.



During the meeting, several inconsistencies were identified, including the classification of ships and the number of permits granted for specific purposes.



"I have discussed with them the importance of identifying gaps organizationally, functionally, legally, and policy - and practice-wise so that we can prevent another oil spill from happening again," she said.



She said her department has also been collaborating with local and national government agencies to mitigate and prevent oil spills in Philippine waters.