Oil spill from 2 sunken boats averted, execs say

SANTA ANA, Cagayan—The spread of the oil spill from two passenger boats that sank at the height of Typhoon “Mina” here last week has been contained, officials of the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (Ceza) said.

Jose Ramboanga, Ceza environment chief, said the oil spill had little effect on waters off San Vicente port here, and had been averted after one of the boats and the other vessel’s cargo were salvaged.

“We went as far as 3 kilometers from the site, and there was no trace of the oil spill,” he said.

Residents of this fishing community earlier complained over the oil and fuel that contaminated the waters of Santa Ana, fearing possible health risks from fish catch and loss of their livelihood.

Ramboanga, however, cited the findings of a survey that inspectors from his office and the Environmental Management Bureau conducted on Thursday, which showed that oil and diesel fuel released from the boats had little effect on nearby marine life.

On Aug. 27, MV Queenie, a passenger and cargo boat plying the San Vicente-Maconacon, Isabela, route, sank after it collided with the MV Eagle Ferry, a passenger boat owned by the town government of Calayan, Cagayan.

Fermin Castillo, MV Eagle Ferry captain, said strong winds and waves knocked his boat from its dock here, forcing it to drift and run aground about 100 meters from the wharf.

As MV Queenie was trying to maneuver to the other side of the wharf, waves pushed it to ram into the MV Eagle Ferry.

Due to the impact, MV Queenie tilted and sank, including its cargo that included barrels of gasoline, cement, noodles, soda and other goods.

MV Eagle Ferry, which was undergoing repair, also took in seawater, submerging half of the vessel. Melvin Gascon, Inquirer Northern Luzon