Business groups object to Pandacan oil depot area reclassification

The reclassification from “heavy industrial” to “high-intensity commercial”of the land the Pandacan oil depot is located on has alarmed business groups, who say that the change could compromise both the security of the facility and the safety of the residents near the area. “It is both the interest and duty of the business sector to ensure and promote the people’s right to a safe environment, good health, and a balanced ecology. While our primary role is to create economic wealth, we also give the highest regard to the responsible and sustainable conduct of our businesses,” a joint statement issued Tuesday by the Makati Business Club, the Employers Confederation of the Philippines, the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Management Association of the Philippines read in part. According to the groups, the reclassification would remove the Pandacan oil depot from the area. Relocating the oil depot outside Metro Manila would increase the risk of road accidents and product spills, as well as increase logistical costs and threats to security for the tankers and the public, they added. The companies in the area had also already implemented measures to address safety measures such as increased security safeguards jointly undertaken with the law enforcement and emergency response units, the groups said. The area has been an industrial zone for the past 90 years. However, Ordinances 8027 (2001) and 8119 (2006) rezoned it, designating it for commercial use. In 2009, Ordinance 8187 reclassified the area as a heavy industrial zone, allowing the oil depot to remain in Manila. In August this year, Ordinance 8283 again reclassified the area, this time as a high-intensity commercial zone. “The lack of stability and predictability in policies and regulations can only serve to erode the renewed confidence and trust in our governance institutions that Pres. Aquino has painstakingly built under his administration,” the business groups’ statement added. — BM, GMA News