FILE PHOTO: Fishing boats are left idle along the shoreline of Pola, Oriental Mindoro in this photo taken on Thursday, March 9, 2023, following the widespread oil spill that affects the livelihood of local fishermen. PHOTO COURTESY OF NOEL GUEVARA OF GREENPEACE
MANILA, Philippines —Members of the Philippine Coast Guard gathered 5,603 liters of oil-tainted water from the sea and 1,071 bags of polluted materials from the shore during their cleaning efforts in areas impacted by the oil spill in Oriental Mindoro..
The PCG said Wednesday that two tugboats – M/TUG Titan 1 and M/TUG Lidagat – deployed an oil spill boom and a skimmer around the suspected area where MT Princess Empress sank, which allowed them to collect a total of 5,603 liters of oily water and 50 oil-contaminated materials during its oil spill response operations from March 1-14.
MT Princess Empress, which was carrying 800,000 liters of industrial oil, submerged in waters off Naujan town in Oriental Mindoro on February 28 after encountering engine trouble amid rough sea conditions.
The PCG announced that its team gathered 1,071 bags of oil-polluted materials and 22 barrels of waste from 13 impacted neighborhoods in Naujan, Bulalacao, and Pola in Oriental Mindoro province since March 1, as of March 14.
It promised to keep an eye on and evaluate the areas around the oil spill site while also working to reduce the spill’s effects. — Meralyn Melitante, trainee
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