CLEANUP Personnel of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) sprinkle chemicals to break down the oil that leaked from the sunken oil tanker Princess Empress in this PCG handout photo on Thursday, March 2, 2023. The tanker sank in the waters off Naujan town, Oriental Mindoro, on Tuesday, February 28. —PHOTO COURTESY OF THE PHILIPPINE COAST GUARD
CITY OF CALAPAN — The coastal town of Pola in Oriental Mindoro province was placed under a state of calamity as authorities rushed to contain the spread of an oil spill from a sunken fuel tanker, local officials said Friday.
In an interview, Pola Mayor Jennifer Mindanao Cruz said the municipal council held a special session on Thursday evening and passed a resolution containing the declaration.
Pola is among the 10 municipalities in Oriental Mindoro that have been affected by the oil spill that leaked from MT Princess Empress, which carried 800,000 liters of fuel when it capsized in the waters off Naujan town, also in Oriental Mindoro, on Tuesday, February 28.
READ: PCG: Oil tanker off Oriental Mindoro now fully submerged, oil spill worsens
According to Cruz, the local government of Pola would help restore the damaged marine ecosystems and support local fishermen, whose livelihoods would be affected by the spillage.
As of Thursday, the spill had reached the shores of seven of the 11 coastal villages in Pola, some 60 kilometers from Naujan, the mayor said. Pola has 23 barangays.
Danger of exposure
Data from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said over 590 hectares of marine protected areas (MPAs) in Pola alone could be in danger of being damaged by the oil spill.
In the entire province, more than 3,100 ha of MPAs would be at risk due to the spillage, the DENR said.
On Friday, the Oriental Mindoro Provincial Health Office (PHO) warned coastal villagers against possible exposure to contaminated seawater.
READ: Oriental Mindoro oil spill reaches shore
In an advisory, the PHO said authorities were still trying to determine the chemical content of the industrial oil that leaked into the sea, but previous reports from the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said it was emulsified fuel, or industrial fuel mixed with water.
Apart from Pola and Naujan, the DENR said the oil spill had already been reported in the other towns of Pinamalayan, Gloria, Bansud, Bongabong, Roxas, Mansalay and Bulalacao, and in Calapan City.
Villagers along the shorelines of the affected areas were cautioned against eating seafood gathered in their areas.
The PHO also advised residents along these coastal communities to temporarily transfer to other places to prevent respiratory illnesses.
Villagers in nearby Romblon province also reported seeing patches of oil slick near Sibale Island, some 62 km from Naujan.
READ: Oil spill threaten coral reefs, mangroves, seaweeds in Mindoro; may reach Palawan
The tanker, which came from Limay town in Bataan province, was heading to Iloilo province on Tuesday morning when it experienced engine trouble and capsized. It eventually sank about 460 meters below sea level the following day, but its 20-man crew was rescued by the foreign vessel MV Efes.
Extent of damage
According to the DENR, among the areas at risk of being damaged were seagrass beds, mangroves and dispersion pathways for spawned larvae.
Also at risk is the Verde Island Passage, a marine biodiversity conservation strait connecting Oriental Mindoro and Batangas province.
The DENR earlier formed Task Force Naujan Oil Spill to immediately contain its spread, conduct aerial surveillance and secure the shorelines of the affected areas.
Environment Secretary Ma. Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga visited Naujan on Friday morning to determine the extent of the damage from the spillage.
After a briefing with local officials, Loyzaga said it would be important to find the exact location where the tanker sank to know which areas or communities would be directly affected by the spill.
READ: 21 protected marine areas may be affected by Mindoro oil spill
The PCG had deployed oil spill booms to contain the spillage and a tugboat to spray chemicals to break down the oil.
At a meeting with local disaster response officials on Thursday, Oriental Mindoro Gov. Humerlito Dolor said the oil spill appeared to come from the diesel discharged from the tanker’s engine and not from its cargo.
Dolor said the 800,000 liters of industrial oil the vessel carried “remained intact.”
Petron’s assistance
Meanwhile, Petron on Friday clarified that the oil tanker that capsized in Oriental Mindoro was not carrying products from its Bataan Refinery nor did it own the fuel oil cargo that the vessel was carrying, as it has not been producing fuel oil since 2016.
READ: PCG: Mindoro oil spill affects some protected marine areas
It said the oil firm has deployed equipment and its oil spill team to assist the PCG and the DENR in containing the spill. Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla earlier called on local oil firms to help contain the spill and minimize damage to the environment and livelihoods.
The company, in a statement, said its refinery and operations personnel in Bataan were trained in “operational safety, disaster preparedness and emergency response, including handling oil spills.”