Marcos: Government To Speed Up Oil Spill Cleanup

The government aims to finish the oil spill cleanup in Oriental Mindoro in less than four months, President Marcos said on Wednesday, March 8.

MT Princess Empress, carrying 800,000 liters of industrial oil, sank near Naujan town last Feb. 28.

“During the Guimaras oil spill, it took four months before the cleanup was completed. Maybe this time, because the oil spill is a little less, we can speed it up. Even if not in a month, maybe we won‘t last four months,” Marcos said in an interview after attending a Kadiwa ng Pangulo event in Quezon City.

The President was referring to the oil tanker M/T Solar I, which was carrying more than two million liters of bunker fuel when it sank off the coast of Guimaras in 2006.

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) had earlier said the oil spill cleanup would likely take more than a month, citing the lack of manpower and equipment.

Marcos ordered the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to speed up the oil spill cleanup in Oriental Mindoro during a meeting at Malacañang on Wednesday.

In response, DENR Secretary Antonia Loyzaga said they are looking at the possibility of tapping the participants of this year's Balikatan exercises for the cleanup drives along the shores affected by the oil spill.

The oil spill has adversely affected marine sanctuaries and mangrove reserves in three out of five municipalities in Guimaras Island and reached the shores of Iloilo and Negros Occidental, according to the National Disaster Coordinating Council.

The President said Japan as well as private companies are providing their equipment to help contain the oil spill in Oriental Mindoro, and prevent it from reaching fishing sanctuaries and tourist areas.

“We are watching over fishing sanctuaries, the tourist areas, to prevent (the oil spill) from actually reaching there,” Marcos said in Filipino.

The good thing, Marcos said, is that authorities were able to locate the sunken tanker, enabling them to predict the direction of the oil spill.

The oil spill has reportedly affected 10 municipalities in Oriental Mindoro and could possibly reach other coastal islands including Palawan, Antique and Romblon.

The DENR chief said the agency would work together with the US Embassy to explore the possibility of deploying the participants of the joint military drills, as part of efforts for cleanup, mitigation, and remediation to reduce the impact of the oil spill incident.

The Balikatan is the annual Philippine-led bilateral exercise of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the United States Armed Forces.

Loyzaga said Japan and South Korea have expressed their willingness to help contain the oil spill.

Cash for work

Marcos also said he instructed the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Department of Social Welfare and Development to continue providing assistance to affected individuals through cash for work program.

“Because the fishermen cannot fish now, they are not allowed to fish. And so, they don't have a job, we changed it to a cash-for-work program where they can help in the cleanup,” he said.

According to Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian, areas to be given the temporary means of livelihood include the towns of Bansud, Bongabong, Bulalacao, Gloria, Naujan, Pinamalayan, Pola and Roxas in Oriental Mindoro; Caluya in Antique and Agutaya in Palawan.

The oil spill is posing health hazards to affected residents and disrupting the livelihood of fishermen as well as owners of resorts and other business establishments.

Loyzaga noted that around P60 million has been set aside for the cash-for-work program of the Department of Labor and Employment DOLE under the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers or TUPAD.

Loyzaga said the vessel owner’s insurance provider has offered to bring in a ship from China to plug the leak of the vessel.

Loyzaga also disclosed that based on latest reports, the oil spill has reached the Cuyo Island group.

The oil spill in Antique and Semirara Island is continuing to spread, she added.

Loyzaga said the rate of discharge of oil from the sunken vessel is estimated between 35,000 to 50,000 liters a day.

Citing models of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Loyzaga said Naujan and Pola towns would be the hardest hit.

11,000 fishermen affected

Up to 11,000 fishermen have been affected by the oil spill, according to the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).

In a radio interview, BFAR spokesperson Nazario Briguera said the oil spill may result in the decline in fisheries production in Mimaropa.

“Thousands of hectares of seaweed were affected and the oil slick will also affect the fisheries production, particularly the marine municipal fisheries in Mimaropa,” he added.

Briguera warned the public of a possible shortage in the supply of round scad or galunggong if the oil spill reaches Palawan.

He said BFAR released an initial P4 million to provide assistance to affected fishermen.

Briguera said a fishing ban is being implemented in Pinamalayan, Gloria, Bansud, Bongabong, Roxas, Mansalay and Bulalacao following the oil spill.

Oil spill boom

The PCG said installation of an oil spill boom in the area where the motor tanker was believed to have sunk started on Wednesday.

The DENR said the BRP Hydrographer Ventura detected the site of the sunken vessel 1,200 feet or around 400 meters below sea level northeast of Pola town in Oriental Mindoro.

Oil spill response teams were deployed even as residents and volunteers in Sitio Sabang, Barangay Tinogboc in Caluya, Antique helped in the coastal cleanup and collected “oiled debris” in the affected shorelines.

The PCG said its personnel collected around 92 sacks of oiled debris, sea grasses and used oil absorbent pads during the cleanup drive in Sitio, Bagong Silang in Barangay Buhay na Tubig in Pola.

Meanwhile, the Department of Health convened the Inter-agency Committee on Environment and Health to discuss measures to prevent a possible outbreak of diseases due to the oil spill.

DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said panel members discussed key areas concerning the oil spill and updates on the reported cases of diarrhea in San Carlos City, Negros Occidental. – With Robertzon Ramirez, Mayen Jaymalin