CAREnow! Campaign
Background
In Pandacan, a district in the Philippine capital city of Manila, oil giants Chevron, Shell, and Petron collectively own and operate a 36-hectare depot. The depot’s storage tanks contain refined oil and other petroleum products for distribution in Metro Manila and throughout Luzon. Integrated in a densely populated urban area, the presence of the depot poses an immediate threat to the health and security of approximately 84,000 people living on the fenceline.
In 2003, United Front to Oust Oil Depots (now Advocates for Environmental and Social Justice, AESJ), collaborated with Global Community Monitor (Berkeley, CA), to conduct air quality tests in Pandacan. The results identified alarming levels of benzene—a carcinogenic compound associated with causing blood-related illnesses such as anemia—in the air of the fenceline community. University of the Philippines College of Medicine also reported abnormal levels of lead in urine samples and diagnosed the majority of patients tested with median neuropathy.
In Pandacan, a district in the Philippine capital city of Manila, oil giants Chevron, Shell, and Petron collectively own and operate a 36-hectare depot. The depot’s storage tanks contain refined oil and other petroleum products for distribution in Metro Manila and throughout Luzon. Integrated in a densely populated urban area, the presence of the depot poses an immediate threat to the health and security of approximately 84,000 people living on the fenceline.
In 2003, United Front to Oust Oil Depots (now Advocates for Environmental and Social Justice, AESJ), collaborated with Global Community Monitor (Berkeley, CA), to conduct air quality tests in Pandacan. The results identified alarming levels of benzene—a carcinogenic compound associated with causing blood-related illnesses such as anemia—in the air of the fenceline community. University of the Philippines College of Medicine also reported abnormal levels of lead in urine samples and diagnosed the majority of patients tested with median neuropathy.
In 2004, Shell, along with Chevron and Petron opened a green buffer zone known as Linear Park, designed to keep the residential and commercial community at a safe distance from their industrial operations. However, this buffer zone covers only a short portion of the depot fenceline, and is in some parts only five to seven meters in width. The park’s environment itself clearly indicates the area’s toxicity as dead branches of recently planted palm trees wither, sewage drains expose an abundance of oil sitting just below the ground, and the stench of petroleum is heavy in the air. This is the playground and green space for local children and families.
The close proximity of the depot makes the Pandacan community and greater Manila vulnerable environmental catastrophe and security threats. Recently, an estimated 40,000 liters of diesel fuel overflowed from a Chevron operated pipeline leading from the refinery in Batangas to the Pandacan depot. While officials defend the security of the site, the depots are actually quite accessible to the public and can be an easy target for those with harmful intent—especially with the Presidential Palace, Malacanang, situated nearby, just down the Pasig River.
The close proximity of the depot makes the Pandacan community and greater Manila vulnerable environmental catastrophe and security threats. Recently, an estimated 40,000 liters of diesel fuel overflowed from a Chevron operated pipeline leading from the refinery in Batangas to the Pandacan depot. While officials defend the security of the site, the depots are actually quite accessible to the public and can be an easy target for those with harmful intent—especially with the Presidential Palace, Malacanang, situated nearby, just down the Pasig River.
Direction and Goals
In alliance with AESJ, FACES is working for the three Rs: Relocation, Remediation, and Revitalization. FACES established the CAREnow! Committee to work in solidarity with our partners to achieve these goals. The campaign aims to pressure Chevron, the 2nd largest oil company in the US, to demand accountability and reparations. The campaign has been researching the impact on public health and the environment, networking with other organizations and communities impacted by Chevron’s operations, and raising awareness about the issue.
Take action!
Let us know how you'd to get involved in bringing justice to Pandacan and similar communities around the world. Get in touch with FACES by completing the form below:
