President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Saturday lauded the government’s efforts to contain the oil spill in Oriental Mindoro as he urged the agencies responsible to act more quickly to prevent the oil from spreading to the shorelines.
The Chief Executive made the call in Pola town as he led the distribution of government assistance to residents of several municipalities affected by the spill that happened after the tanker MT Princess Empress carrying 900,000 liters of industrial fuel sank off the town of Najuan, Oriental Mindoro on 28 February.
A National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council report said the oil spill had spread to the provinces of Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan, and other parts of Western Visayas.
“The results so far have been good because all the government agencies have been on high alert since the oil spill and the ship’s sinking,” Marcos said.
“(That’s because) I instructed our secretaries to do everything quickly, mainly because the oil spill was nearing the shoreline,” he added.
Marcos assured the affected residents of the national government help their communities until they can return to their usual way of life.
“The national government is here to support you and help with the situation and we will not stop until you have recovered,” he said.
The President distributed P98.6 million worth of family food packs and other assistance along with the Department of Social Welfare and Development and other government agencies. He also donated 17 motorized fishing boats.
Before the distribution, Marcos conducted an aerial inspection of the Oriental Mindoro coastline. He also presided over a situation briefing with the mayors of the province in Pola to assess the damage caused by the oil spill and coordinate the government’s response.
Marcos instructed the Department of the Interior and Local Government to talk to the provincial governors and local town executives about the four alternative fishing grounds for the affected fishermen.
“The Department of Labor and Employment has created a profile to see what new livelihood opportunities are available,” the President said.
“Let’s not think about it only for now; let’s do it so that even if the fish return, their livelihood will continue, there will be livelihood, additional livelihood. That’s what’s important,” he added.
In a Facebook post, Oriental Mindoro Governor Humerlito Dolor said they told Marcos about the current state of the province, the daily needs of the 75,732 affected families, and the provincial government’s recovery plan to facilitate the swift restoration of the lives of the citizens.
Oil spill damage
According to the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, the oil spill has cost the local fishing industry P441.25 million over 22 fishing days.
In a statement, the BFAR said the spill has directly impacted more than 26,000 fishermen who lost P714 per day in income as of 31 March.
“Data from DA-BFAR showed there were 26,719 FishR-registered fisherfolk directly affected by the oil spill as of 31 March 2023. They incurred an average daily income loss of P714 on current PSA estimates, with almost P20M in daily losses, translating to a total income loss of P441,253,428 in 22 fishing days,” BFAR Director Demosthenes Escoto said.
“Meanwhile, the damage or losses in inputs and produce, fishing gear and paraphernalia, and facilities and equipment have amounted to P445,333,928. These include fisheries production losses from Mimaropa’s commercial and municipal fisheries valued at P14,138,400 and damage to 119 metric tons of seaweed products in Western Visayas valued at almost P3 million,” Escoto said.
Meanwhile, the BFAR said it has been conducting weekly contamination analyses of water and seafood.
It said it found trace amounts of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which accumulate in the flesh of marine species and are toxic to people and other living things.