Petron has exit plan from Philippines Pandacan depot; Chevron insists on staying

Two of the Philippines’ oil giants operating within the Pandacan oil depot in Manila have taken different views over the proposed ordinance that would require them to relocate their fuel storage operations by January 2016. The Manila City Council passed an ordinance reclassifying the Pandacan area from an industrial to a commercial zone. Petron Corp. Chairman Ramon S. Ang said the process of transferring their depot operations has started, as they committed in 2010 to move out of Pandacan on or before 2016. Chevron Philippines, on the other hand, stressed the necessity of keeping the terminal facilities within the Pandacan oil depot.
Petron, Pilipinas Shell and Chevron have been under pressure to move their depot operations out of Pandacan due to safety concerns raised by various cause-oriented groups and the Church, since the area has become heavily populated over the years. Pandacan is currently considered the largest and most important depot in the country. The Pandacan depot supplies 70% of the shipping industry’s needs, 90% of lubricant requirements and 75% of all aviation fuel needs. (August 29, 2012)