SLICK | The Philippine Coast Guard has confirmed the presence and possible source of oil spill in waters 13.7 kilometers (7.4 nautical miles) southwest off Balingawan Point in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro on Wednesday, a day after a fuel tanker on its way to Iloilo capsized. (Photo from the Philippine Coast Guard)
MANILA, Philippines — Environmental groups urged the government to act swiftly to contain the oil spill caused by the tanker that sank in the waters off Oriental Mindoro province on Tuesday, saying this could harm the livelihood of coastal communities in the area.
According to the Protect Verde Island Passage (VIP) campaign network, more than 2 million Filipinos, which include fisherfolk and tourism workers, depend on the biodiversity and resources from this strait that separates mainland Luzon and Mindoro Island.
“We are calling on the government to expedite cleanup operations to minimize the damage and allow the people who depend on the riches of the sea to resume their normal activities,” Fr. Edwin Gariguez, convener of Protect VIP, said in a statement on Wednesday.
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has “confirmed the presence and possible source” of the oil spill from the capsized oil tanker MT Princess Empress, which was carrying 800,000 liters of industrial fuel oil, off Naujan, Oriental Mindoro.
The oil slick, which was described by the PCG as “black and thick with strong odor” based on water samples, was seen in the waters 13.7 kilometers (7.4 nautical miles) southwest off Balingawan Point in Naujan around 3 p.m. on Wednesday.
The tugboat Titan has started spraying oil dispersants in the area, the PCG said.
Earlier on Wednesday, the PCG said the spill spanned 6 km long and 4 km wide. It was being assessed if the industrial fuel oil it was ferrying was already included in the spilled oil.
The tanker’s shipping company, RDC Reield Marine Services Inc., has contracted Malayan Towage and Salvage Corp. to assess the level of oil spillage, the PCG said.
The MT Princess Empress, which was on its way to Iloilo province from Limay, Bataan, when its engines encountered trouble due to overheating early Tuesday. It drifted toward Balingawan Point in rough seas until it capsized. The PCG described the vessel’s condition on Tuesday as “half-submerged” but said the vessel sank on Wednesday.
All the 20 crew members onboard were earlier rescued by a passing foreign cargo vessel.
‘Potent’ poison
Gariguez, a religious leader and long-time environmental justice advocate, said the industrial oil was a “potent” poison to the flora and fauna of the passage and could negatively affect food security.
The oil spill could also result in turbid waters that would make it difficult for seagrasses and coral to grow and reduced growth of fish or fish kills that could cause lesser fish stocks.
“The oil spill exacerbates the existing issues faced by our fisherfolk, who are among the poorest sector in the country,” Gariguez said.
Naujan Mayor Henry Joel Teves, in a text message to the Inquirer on Wednesday, said: “We continue to coordinate with concerned agencies regarding the maritime incident, like the Coast Guard, so we can undertake the necessary action.”
Teves feared that the oil spill would reach their fish sanctuary, a marine protected area, covering the villages of Hererra, Masaguing and Montemayor. He said the livelihood of fishing families in coastal villages in Naujan was also at risk.
Like Guimaras
Gerry Arances, executive director of the Center for Energy, Ecology and Development, also warned about the impact of oil spills, citing the Guimaras oil spill in 2006 that leaked 500,000 liters of oil from the Guimaras Strait up to the Iloilo Strait.
“The Guimaras Strait incident way back in 2006 was a portrait of how gruesome oil spills can be. The recovery was long and arduous where mangroves only began to show signs of recovery in 2019—13 years after the incident,” Arances said.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources said it instructed its regional personnel to go to the site upon being notified of the incident on Wednesday afternoon.
“We are monitoring the site in relation to the potential marine biodiversity impacts and the possible risk to lives and livelihoods in the area due to the direction of the current and distance from the shoreline which may be affected,” the agency said in a statement.