Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 30) — The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Thursday reported that around 60% of areas affected by the oil spill in Oriental Mindoro have already been cleaned up.
“Ang naiulat kahapon sa aming accounting ay nasa 60% na po ‘yong ating progreso,” PCG Deputy Commandant Vice Admiral Rolando Punzalan Jr. told a public briefing.
“So, this is a good progress sa ating pagtatanggal ng langis sa mga naapektuhan na coastlines,” he added.
[Translation: It was reported in our accounting yesterday that our progress was around 60%. So this is good progress in our cleanup efforts in oil-affected coastlines.]
The country’s coast guard also reported that it has so far collected 13,383 liters of oily water mixture and 139 sacks of oil-contaminated materials in its offshore oil spill response operations.
\”For shoreline response, the PCG collected 156 sacks of oil-contaminated materials on 29 March 2023, resulting in 3,937.5 sacks and 22 drums of waste collected at 13 affected barangays in Naujan, Bulalacao, and Pola, Oriental Mindoro, from 01 to 29 March 2023,\” it said on Facebook.
It has been a month since MT Princes Empress, an oil tanker carrying at least 800,000 liters of industrial oil, sank in waters near Naujan town in Oriental Mindoro.
Authorities said the oil slick reached Palawan and Antique, with experts from the University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute saying over 36,000 of marine habitats are at risk.
On March 20, the PCG Batangas station confirmed sightings of the oil slick on Verde Island. Later that day, authorities said vicinity waters no longer showed traces of the spill, but three nearby coastal barangays remain affected.
Verde Island is one of the country’s marine reserves and has been described as being at the heart of the global center of marine biodiversity.
RELATED: Oil slick just around 2.5 kilometers away from Verde Island – PhilSA
On March 23, the PCG elevated the response operations to Tier III, which is considered a national-level response and may call for assistance from the international community, according to the National Oil Spill Contingency Plan.
Japan, the United States, South Korea, and France have been helping the Philippines with the clean-up efforts.
But the PCG’s job is far from over as three tanks of the cargo ship submerged in deep seas are suspected to still contain amounts of oil.
“You have 376,000 liters in the remaining three tanks but then again, naka-observe tayo ng [we have observed] intermittent seepage in small amounts and continuous thin seepage,” Punzalan said in another interview. “Kaya [That’s why] we cannot discount the possibility it can be much less or much, much lesser sa remaining tanks natin [in the remaining tanks].”
RELATED: MT Princess Empress almost half empty – PCG
The PCG also said it is seeking the assistance of the International Oil Pollution Compensation, a mechanism that can be used by claimants who have incurred economic loss, and damage to property or the environment.
RELATED: Claims from Oriental Mindoro oil spill seen to reach ₱1.1 billion – lawmaker
Punzalan said the mechanism has started operating under the Department of Transportation.
He, however, can’t say yet when authorities can finish cleaning up all the affected areas.
“Sa kasalukuyan medyo mahirap po natin siyang matatantiya, ngunit ang maaasahan po natin ay ang puspusang pagtatrabaho ng mga troops natin sa coast guard kasama na iyong mga galing sa ibang ahensiya ng gobyerno, kasama na rin iyong ibang volunteers at lalung-lalo na iyong mga residents,” Punzalan said.
“Siguro po sa mga darating na araw ay magkakalinaw na po tayo kung kailan more or less mahi-hit natin iyong tinatawag na endpoint na ating inaasam,” he added.
[Translation: Currently, it’s difficult to estimate when the cleanup will end but it can be expected that our troops from the coast guard will work on this, along with other government agencies and volunteers, especially residents. Maybe in the next few days, it will be clear when will we hit the endpoint.]
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. earlier said he wants the oil spill cleanup to be over in less than four months.
RELATED: Marcos must tap gov’t agencies to clean up oil spill in 4 months — group
