The oil spill has been spotted within the vicinity waters of Barangay San Agapito in Verde Island, Batangas on Monday morning. (Photo from the Philippine Coast Guard.)
MANILA, Philippines — The oil spill off Oriental Mindoro has reached marine diversity-rich Verde Island in Batangas, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said on Monday.
“Yes, confirmed po, may sightings na po tayo sa Isla Verde,” PCG-Batangas station commander Captain Victorino Acosta told INQUIRER.net over the phone.
(Yes, it is confirmed, we have sightings in Verde Island.)
Acosta noted that while the spillage has not been spotted during aerial operations, there were traces of oil on the ground.
“Sa aerial recon (reconnaissance) po wala sila nakita pero sa ground po meron,” he told reporters.
(They did not see any spillage during aerial reconnaissance but they spotted traces in the ground.)
Acosta said that as of Monday, the oil spill affects Barangay San Agapito, San Agustin and San Antonio.
PCG personnel together with volunteers and residents have since conducted clean-up in the areas, he further said.
He added that more or less 230 liters of “oily mixture” were collected in the said areas.
The MT Princess Empress, which carried 800,000 liters of industrial fuel oil, sank on February 28 in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro after having engine trouble due to rough sea condition.
The oil spill also reached as far as the shores of Palawan, PCG said.
