This photo from the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) shows the sunken MT Terra Nova, which is causing a “working fuel” spill off Limay municipality in Bataan province on Thursday, July 25, 2024. MT Terra Nova was en route to Iloilo to deliver 1.4 million liters of industrial fuel when it “capsized and eventually submerged” east of Lamao Point in Limay at around 1:10 a.m. on Thursday.
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Thursday said the siphoning process of the 1.4 million liters of fuel from a sunken ship in Manila Bay “can be done quickly,” preventing what would be the biggest oil spill in the country’s history.
READ: Oil spill from sunken tanker off Bataan may reach Manila shores – PCG
The PCG is giving itself a week to finish draining oil from the submerged petroleum tanker, according to spokesperson Rear Admiral Armand Balilo.
Furthermore, the body of the missing crew member was found by PCG personnel almost 14 hours after the incident.
The PCG has deployed BRP Teresa Magbanua to conduct the search and rescue operation for Motor Tanker Terra Nova, and the agency is now deploying additional boats to contain the oil spill caused by the incident, according to Balilo.
The PCG official said the three 44-meter multirole response vessels will apply oil dispersants to immediately mitigate raw oil spill, especially when siphoning is being prepared.
“Siphoning will not be very technical and can be done quickly,” Balilo told reporters, noting that the vessel only sunk 34 meters, “which is considerably shallow.”
“The PCG sets an operational target of seven days to finish siphoning the oil from the sunken tanker to stop further spread,” he also said.
Motor Tanker Terra Nova was en route to Iloilo City when it capsized and eventually submerged 3.6 nautical miles east off Lamao Point in Bataan province’s Limay town at around 1:10 a.m. on Thursday.
READ: Tanker with 1.4M liters of oil sinks off Bataan; ‘working fuel’ leaks
Balilo said 16 of the 17 crew on board had been rescued by the BRP Melchora Aquino personnel, while the other crew member was found dead by 3:00 p.m.
Meanwhile, the PCG also learned that MT Terra Nova did not violate rules and regulations on the movement of vessels during inclement weather as no public storm signal was raised in Bataan by the time it started to depart from there.
To date, the biggest oil spill in the country’s history occurred on February 28, 2023, when MT Princess Empress, carrying 800,000 liters of industrial fuel oil, sank off Naujan, Oriental Mindoro, compelling the government to shell out almost P1 billion in spillage cleanup and financial assistance to affected fisherfolk.
READ: Mindoro oil spill victims reach 19,000