A tugboat using an oil spill boom at the site of the Oriental Mindoro oil spill. (Photo courtesy of Malayan Towage & Salvage Corp.)
MANILA – The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has collected shoreline samples in four towns near the site of an oil spill in Oriental Mindoro province to assess the damage and necessary response in the affected areas.
In a situation update on Tuesday, the PCG said technicians from the PCG Marine Science Technicians Deployment Response Group and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)-Environmental Management Bureau in Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon Palawan) conducted the sample collection on Monday.
These sample collections occurred in several barangays in the municipalities of Naujan, Pola, Pinamalayan and Gloria in Oriental Mindoro.
In Naujan, samples were collected from Barangays Estrella, Sta. Cruz, San Jose, San Jose Proper, Melgar A, Melgar B and Sitio Pitogo.
In Pola, the samples were collected from Barangays Misong, Tagumpay, Tagumpay Central, Cueba, Tuguihan, Calima and Sitio Central.
In Pinamalayan, samples were collected from Barangays Ranzo, Simborio, Banilad, Pili, Lumangbayan and Marfrancisco.
Samples were also collected in Gloria from Barangays Tambong, Kawit, San Antonio, Balete, Guimbonan, Sta. Teresa, Maragooc and Agsalin MPA.
On the other hand, the BRP Bagacay (MRRV-4410) monitored the waters around Pola due to the reported trajectory of the oil spill.
“The vessel found negative sightings of oil spillage after the assessment,” it said.
However, the PCG will continue its coral assessment of marine protected areas around Pola.
To date, two tugboats—M/TUG Titan 1 and M/TUG Lidagat—deployed an oil spill boom and a skimmer around the suspected area of sunken tanker MT Princess Empress at six nautical miles northeast off the shoreline of Balingawan Point and Buloc Bay.
“PCG’s offshore team recovered 10 sacks of absorbent pads with the oily mixture and five bales of absorbent pads,” it said.
Earlier, the PCG said a total of 45 kilometers of Oriental Mindoro’s coastline, 4.5 kilometers in Palawan province and six kilometers in Antique province have been affected by the oil spill.
To date, it said 115,295 kilograms of oil-contaminated garbage and 5,206 liters of oil/water mixture have so far been collected.
The M/T Princess Empress was reported to contain around 800,000 liters of industrial fuel oil when it ran aground off Naujan, Oriental Mindoro on Feb. 28 due to engine trouble and eventually sank the following day. (PNA)
