Oriental Mindoro oil spill caused illness to 191 people so far, says DOH

Department of Health officer-in-charge Undersecretary Maria Rosario Singh-Vergeire speaks with the members of the media during a press briefing on Tuesday, March 21, 2023. Photo screencapped from DOH’s online video meeting.

MANILA, Philippines — The oil spill off Oriental Mindoro has so far made 191 residents sick, Department of Health officer-in-charge Undersecretary Maria Rosario Singh-Vergeire reported Tuesday.

“Last week we had a total of around 176 cases. Ngayon po, mayroon na tayong a total of 191,” she said in a media forum. This information covered March 2-20, she added.

(Last week we had a total of around 176 cases. Now, we have a total of 191.)

However, 101 of these cases have already recovered from their symptoms.

“Unang-una pa rin po sa listahan natin ‘yung mga nakakaranas ng respiratory symptoms, ‘yung iba po nakakaranas ng paghilo, ‘yung iba nagkaroon ng sakit ng tiyan, at ‘yung iba, nangangati ang kanilang balat, mayroon silang dermatological signs ang symptoms,” she also said.

(First on the list are those experiencing respiratory symptoms, some experienced dizziness, some have stomach pains, and others, skin itchiness or they have dermatological signs and symptoms.)

Only one resident needed hospitalization due to shortness of breath, according to Vergeire, and it was during the first week of the oil spill.

The DOH official again gave assurance that their monitoring continues and that air and water sampling have been conducted.

The results of the tests can be used to better inform the government’s response, according to Vergeire.

The MT Princess Empress, which carried 800,000 liters of oil, sank off Naujan town in Oriental Mindoro on February 28. The oil spill has since reached Palawan and Verde Island Passage.

KGA