Petron and the Philippine Office of the Civil Defence (OCD) will jointly sponsor an expansive disaster preparedness training programme to improve responses to oil spills and similar events.

The training and development programme has been ordered by the OCD after health infrastructure in the country was strained severely by the MT Solar 1 oil spill in 2006.

Speaking to national news outlet the National Today, regional director of the organisation Rosario Cabrera said that the oil training initiative forms part of a wider programme for enhancement of emergency response which was established after the Solar spill.

The tanker caused the country's worst oil spill when it sank in the Guimaras during bad weather in August 2006, resulting in an international plea for assistance in removing the vessel.

Speaking to VOA News at the time, spokesperson for the Philippine Coast Guard Lieutenant Commander Joseph Coyme said the country did not have the infrastructure to remove the vessel.

"We are calling on international groups, if they have this equipment, to salvage the vessel, or at least stop the remaining oil [from spreading,]" he urged

Oil and Gas Directory: Training and Development