DISASTER. The Philippine Coast Guard is working double time to contain the oil spill off Naujan waters in Oriental Mindoro caused by the overheating and eventual sinking of MT Princess Empress on Feb. 28, 2023. Nearby Pola town has been placed under a state of calamity due to the spill’s massive effect on the livelihood of fisherfolk. (Courtesy of PCG)
MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. pledged Friday to provide assistance to those affected by the oil spillage in waters off Naujan town in Oriental Mindoro province following the sinking of M/T Princess Empress on Feb. 28.
Pola town in Oriental Mindoro has been placed under a state of calamity as the seawater and shoreline have turned black and various species of fish have died, according to a statement of Mayor Jennifer Cruz.
Marcos said the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will lead the distribution of assistance to affected families and individuals.
Affected fisherfolk would be given "special attention", according to the President.
"The government, through the Department of Social [Welfare] and Development, is prepared to provide various forms of assistance to families and individuals affected by the oil spill caused by the submerged MT Princess Empress in Oriental Mindoro," Marcos said in a statement.
M/T Princess Empress was reported to be loaded with 800,000 liters of industrial fuel prior to the incident.
Reports indicated that the vessel experienced engine trouble brought by overheating while in transit to Iloilo province from Bataan province, causing it to drift towards Balingawan Point in Naujan.
It then partially sank due to rough sea conditions until it fully submerged on Wednesday.
Twenty crew members of M/T Princess Empress were rescued.
Marcos said the government, with the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) serving as the lead agency, is closely monitoring the developments.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is likewise working with the International Maritime Organization and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to provide support and determine specific needs.
"We also thank the private corporations like Petron and Shell, who have offered their help by lending us the needed equipment to mitigate the impact of the oil spill," Marcos said.
Earlier Friday, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council ordered the creation of a task force that will monitor the impact of the oil spill.
Task force member-agencies include the Mimaropa offices of the DENR, DILG, DSWD, Department of Health (DOH), Bureau of Fire Protection, Philippine National Police, PCG-Southern Tagalog District, Armed Forces of the Philippines Southern Luzon Command and Mimaropa local government units.
To date, shoreline assessments and containment of the spill are being done by PCG teams.
The spill had reached the coastal areas of the municipalities of Pola, Pinamalayan, Naujan, and Bongabong in Oriental Mindoro, according to latest reports.
Where is M/T Princess Empress?
In a statement on Friday, DENR Secretary Toni Yulo-Loyzaga said it is crucial to locate the vessel and model the potential flow of oil in order to implement the most effective mitigation strategies.
She said disruption to livelihood must be minimized and the affected ecosystems regenerated.
Earlier, Loyzaga joined an aerial surveillance and site assessment of the oil spill, accompanied by Undersecretary for Integrated Environmental Science Carlos Primo David, Dr. Fernando Siringan of the University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute, and members of the DENR Oil Spill Task Force.
The National Mapping and Resource Information Authority, an attached agency of the DENR, will deploy two ships, BRP Hydrographer Ventura and BRP Hydrographer Presbitero, for multibeam survey in order to locate the sunken vessel.
The DENR has been actively engaging different sectors to aid in the response efforts, committed to work with coastal communities to prevent the landing of oil through the deployment of available absorbent materials, and is in close coordination with the DOH for the deployment of medical workers who will monitor and address possible impacts on communities.
The DENR proposed a cash-for-work program for the coastal cleanup as a short-term intervention to provide temporary employment. (With a report from Perfecto Raymundo Jr./PNA)
