Programs

Chevron Accountability Campaign

Summary
Since 2006, FACES has actively joined with grassroots communities in Metro Manila who are fighting for relocation, reparations and cleanup of a polluting oil depot in Metro Manila, owned by the California-based Chevron and its partners Shell and Petron.

Background
An estimated 83,000 residents are impacted by the hazardous Pandacan oil depot, a residential district in the heart of Metro Manila. Philippine civil society and environmental groups are actively campaigning for the relocation of the massive depot for years, out of concerns for their health, safety, and environment.

Between the oil depot and neighboring community, Chevron and its partners have constructed a "green buffer zone." Although meant to maintain a distance between the oil depot and the community, the area is only a few meters wide and has been developed into a public walkway and park for children.
Accidental spills, leakages and fires have overwhelmed the community over the years, and residents and advocates are concerned about the depot's affects on public health. A study conducted with Global Community Monitor in 2002 detected high levels of benzene, a known carcinogen and component of gasoline, in the air around Pandacan. The UP College of Medicine also reported abnormal levels of lead in urine samples and diagnosed the majority of patients tested with median neuropathy.
Yet despite opposition from the community, Church leaders, public health concerns, numerous ordinances, and a 2007 Supreme Court decision that ordered Chevron to relocate their depot for the "protection of the residents of Manila from catastrophic devastation," Chevron and its partners have continued to stall out this order.

FACES launched the Chevron Campaign in partnership with Manila-based groups like Advocates for Environmental and Social Justice (AESJ), who are leading local efforts for the responsible relocation of the depot. The campaign has worked to conduct research on the company, health impacts, and case studies; build alliances with sister communities impacted by Chevron operations; directly pressure Chevron to heed the concerns of Manila residents; and raise public awareness and pressure around the issue through workshops, petitions, and peaceful actions.
Most recently, FACES has joined with the True Cost of Chevron coalition, bringing together the stories and fight of fenceline communities from across California and the US, Nigeria, Ecuador, Burma, Kazakhstan, Iraq, and more, www.truecostofchevron.com.

Take Action:
We are seeking volunteers to assist with research, developing educational materials, and organizing speaking events and workshops. If you’re interested in joining the Chevron Campaign Committee, please e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it