DESOLATE The coastal village of Misong in Pola, Oriental Mindoro, looks desolate as residents, particularly local fishers, continue to bear the brunt of the effect of the oil spill from the sunken MT Princess Empress that contaminated its waters. —MADONNA T. VIROLA
MANILA, Philippines — Senator Nancy Binay lamented on Thursday the tourist sites affected by the oil spill that ensued in Oriental Mindoro.
The Department of Tourism reported that at least 61 tourist sites were affected by the oil leak.
“To think na ang Mindoro ang summer alternative ng Boracay, nakakalungkot din dahil maraming nag-cancel ng bookings ngayong Holy Week, at panibagong dagok na naman itong nangyari sa ating mga tourism workers na kababangon lang mula sa pandemic,” Binay, chairperson of the Senate committee on tourism, said in a statement.
(Thinking that Mindoro is the summer alternative to Boracay is saddening because many people canceled their booking for Holy Week, another challenge for tourism workers who just revived from the pandemic.)
The oil spill must be immediately addressed, for Binay, to avoid further worsening the situation.
“Time is of the [essence] here, at kailangan ng collective action from both government and non-government groups na agapan na huwag nang lumala pa ang sitwasyon lalo na’t ilang libong pamilya at kabuhayan na ang apektado,” she said.
(Time is of the essence here, and we need collective action from both government and non-government groups to curb and prevent further worsening of the situation, significantly affecting thousands of families and livelihoods.)
“Lubha nang nakakaalarma ang impact ng spillage, at mas nakakabahala pa dahil malaki ang posibilidad na umabot po ito sa Batangas at Palawan kung walang gagawing organized action,” she added.
(The impact of the spillage is alarming, and it is more concerning that there is a high possibility that the oil spill will reach Batangas and Palawan if there is no organized action.)
The senator pushed for immediate assistance to affected individuals.
The government rolled out a cash-for-work program to affected residents, especially fishers and the poorest of the poor.
An oil tanker carrying 800,000 liters of industrial fuel sank off the coast of Oriental Mindoro on February 28.
The oil spill has likewise spread to parts of Palawan and Western Visayas.