Impact of Catarman Oil Mill, Incorporation (COMI) Production in Barangay Aguadahan, San Jose, Northern Samar

Abstract

This study followed the descriptive method of research, and conducted to assess the impacts of Catarman Oil Mill, Incorporation’s production in Barangay Aquadahan, San Jose, Northern Samar. It identified the possible environmental impacts, socio-economics impact, and on health and safety impacts of the production operations of the company. The barangay officials, barangay health workers and other interested groups particularly focused on the discussion on the environmental impact, socio-economic and health impacts associated with the oil mill in the area. Participants to the FGD were residents of the studied barangay and were enumerated within the 1 kilometer radius from the location of the company. Thus, the results of the study revealed that the Company is not involved in community promotion-related activities and that there is a growing health concerns that the community and people have attributed to the operations of the COMI. There is an unpleasant odor coming from the company which causes health concerns among the community people that most of the children and the elderly experiences from mild to severe headaches, asthma, allergy and other unnecessary illness. It was also found out that the company do not hire residents for permanent employment in the establishment least they would only hire a few of them only on contractual basis. On the environmental impact as a whole, there seems to be no evidence that the company is creating any alarming effect to the environment least the complaint of flooding in the area that most respondents attribute to the plant.