Senate probe on MT Terranova oil spill set Aug. 13

CONTAINING THE DAMAGE A tugboat hired by Shogun Ships Co., owner of the MT Terranova joins the Philippine Coast Guard in its efforts to contain the spread of the oil leak from the sunken tanker in the waters of Limay, Bataan. —INQUIRER file photo / RICHARD A. REYES

MANILA, Philippines – The Senate inquiry on the massive oil spill caused by the ill-fated MT Terranova will push through on Aug. 13, Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino announced on Wednesday.

Tolentino earlier filed a resolution to investigate the cause of the oil spill that affected around 46,000 fisherfolk, marine biodiversity, and food security in Bataan, Cavite, Metro Manila, and nearby areas.

“We need to set up stricter mechanisms to prevent such incidents, and to improve our capability to immediately respond to contain, clean up, and mitigate the impact of this toxic substance on the fishing sector and the environment,” Tolentino said in a news release, citing similar occurrences in Pola, Oriental Mindoro in 2023, and the island-province of Guimaras in 2006.

Tolentino also urged the Department of Agriculture (DA) to collaborate with other agencies to support fish vendors who are affected by the lower catch and subsequent fishing bans due to the oil spill.

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“We must not forget the fish vendors. The government must also reach out to them because we have interviewed sellers in public markets who said that many stalls selling fish have now been closed,” the senator told DA Assistant Secretary Arnel De Mesa in his radio program.

In response, De Mesa assured the DA will work with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Department of Trade Industry (DTI) to assist fish vendors.

The Philippine Coast Guard is currently receiving assistance from the United States Coast Guard and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to contain the spill.

The DA, through the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), has also started extending fuel subsidies to affected fisherfolk.