With an oil spill boom and skimmer, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) was around the suspected area of the sunken oil tanker MT Princess Empress northeast of Balingawan Port, Lucta Port, and Buloc Bay in Oriental Mindoro on March 14, 2023.
| PHOTO: Malayan Towage and Salvage Corporation via Philippine Coast Guard
CITY OF CALAPAN – The Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan (Mimaropa) police on Tuesday, May 2, donated P1,250,624 raised from voluntary contributions of its personnel and police units to help the families affected by the oil spill in Pola, Oriental Mindoro.
The oil spill came from tanker MT Princess Empress carrying at least 800,000 liters of industrial fuel when it sank in the waters of Naujan town on Feb. 28.
A statement issued on Wednesday, May 3, said Colonel Nathaniel Villegas, acting chief of regional staff, formally turned over the cash assistance to Pola Mayor Jennifer Cruz in a simple ceremony held at the new municipal building in Barangay (village) Bayanan.
Pola town sustained the most damage from the oil spill incident in the province, affecting 11 barangays, 4,839 families, 24, 195 individuals and seven marine protected areas, said Mimaropa police.
The units donated were the Regional Headquarters, the Regional Mobile Force Battalion, the Regional Highway Patrol Unit, the Regional Medical and Dental Unit, the Regional Forensic Unit, the Regional Intelligence Unit, the Regional Special Training Unit and the Regional Training Center Regional Drug Enforcement Unit.
The five police provincial offices, Puerto Princesa City, and the Directorate for Police Community Relations also contributed to the donation drive.
“Rest assured that we are one with the families affected by the oil spill as we maintain peace and order and respond to the challenge of helping each other,” said Brigadier General Joel Doria, regional director, as he thanked all those who donated.
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