Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 17) — In order to achieve the recovery timeline of four months, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. must step up and direct all relevant government agencies to clean up the oil spilled by a capsized tanker last Feb. 28, an environmental group said on Friday.

READ: Marcos wants oil spill cleanup finished in under 4 months

“The only way to achieve the president’s hope to clean up the oil spill in four months is to compel government agencies to direct all resources for containment… Mr. President, the Verde Island Passage [VIP] is a crucial contributor to the Philippine economy. You must move now,” said Fr. Edwin Gariguez, convenor of the Protect VIP coalition.

The VIP, a strait separating Mindoro island from mainland Luzon, is rich in marine biodiversity. It is often bustling with activity as it serves as a route from the Port of Manila to the Visayas and Mindanao.

The group, citing a report from the Calapan City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, said that traces of oil had been detected on the shores of Barangay Navotas, Calapan, which lies along the VIP.

“We can only do so much. We do not want the oil response to suffer the same fate of the sunken tanker the captain must steer the ship towards safety and that someone should be the President,” Gariguez added.

The Catholic priest honored in 2012 with a Goldman Prize for grassroots environmental heroes said that current clean-up operations were not fast enough and put forward some short and long-term suggestions.

“Short term, we need to identify who would compensate the affected residents and pay for the environmental damage to VIP. In the long run, our policymakers should not just look at oil spills from sunken ships, but also how to minimize the traffic of ships carrying poisonous cargo through this vulnerable area,” he posed.

Gariguez lamented the situation faced by fisherfolk and other sectors negatively impacted by the oil spill. The Department of Social Welfare and Development earlier said that over 137,000 people had been affected by the spill.

READ: Over 137,000 people affected by Mindoro oil spill DSWD

Gerry Arances, think tank Center for Energy, Ecology, and Development executive director, said the whole country could feel the oil spill’s effects on the economy.

“It’s not just fisherfolk — these barangays depend on the seas to bring in money for trade, transport, and tourism, and soon, the whole country would feel it too. The fishing sector in the VIP area, which includes Oriental Mindoro, was valued at ₱11.8 billion in 2021 while in 2019, its tourism industry generated ₱3.5 billion,” Arances said.

Lawmakers and local leaders have said that the owners of the sunken oil tanker provide a recovery plan and should compensate those affected by the oil spill.

Pola mayor: Owner of tanker that caused oil spill should provide us complete recovery plan