Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 11) — The major oil spill in Oriental Mindoro is still under Tier 2 response and does not yet require foreign assistance, according to the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).
“Kapag more than one million (liters) na ang volume ng oil na involved sa spill ay i-elevate po natin sa Tier III,” PCG Commandant Admiral Artemio Abu told a briefing on Saturday. “And this is one is less than one million, so right now nasa Tier II pa po tayo, so coast guard pa po ang nag-o-oversee ng operations ng oil spill response operations ng government.”
[Translation: If the volume of the oil that spilled reaches more than one million liters, we will elevate the response to Tier III. The oil spill in Oriental Mindoro is less than one million, so right now we are still under Tier II, so it’s still the coast guard overseeing the government’s oil spill response operations.]
According to the National Oil Spill Contingency Plan, Tier I response is used for oil spills that could be dealt with by the spiller, while Tier II means the spillage is “larger in magnitude” that would need additional resources. Tier III is considered a national-level response and may call for assistance from the international community.
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The PCG, however, confirmed that it has already officially sent a letter to the United States asking for help in terms of equipment.
“Generic naman ‘yon kung ano ang tulong na ibibigay nila…Kung ano ang sa aabot ng kanilang kakayahan na maibibigay sa atin…It’s just a matter of making it known to them that we are asking assistance from them,” Abu said.
[Translation: The letter was generic, asking what assistance they can provide, and to what extent they can help.]
He said authorities need a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) to conduct siphoning operations as part of efforts to contain the 800,000 liters of industrial fuel oil from MT Princess Empress.
Abu shared the exact location of the sunken oil tanker — 13.89 kilometers northeast of Balingawan Point in Pola town, with an actual depth of around 389.1 meters beneath the water surface. He said the country’s new ROV cannot go that deep.
RELATED: Oriental Mindoro oil spill reaches Palawan
