Pandacan depot backed

The Philippines’ Energy Department plans to revive proposals for the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) to declare the Pandacan depot as a project of national significance to insulate it from spot zoning by local government units. Newly appointed Energy Secretary Jose Rene Almendras told reporters he would look at previous proposals due to the importance of keeping the depot in its current location. The Pandacan oil depot supplies around half of the country’s total fuel demand and 100% of its lubricant requirements for both the transport and industrial sectors. Safety and pollution issues from detractors, prompting oil companies to hire an independent third-party risk assessor to conduct a study on the depot, have hounded the Pandacan depot. (July 21, 2010)