When news of the oil spill on the coast of Mindoro spilled to the media and on social media last Feb. 28, 2023, people were not aware of the magnitude and repercussions of that incident. Some assumed that it would only take a few days of cleanup to return the waters to its pristine condition, and a few days more to make the culprit accountable for its actions.
Details, however, emerged soon and the “prognosis” was bleak — and dark, like the spilt black oil that is highly toxic to the marine environment. It turned out that MT Princess Empress, which sank off Naujan in Oriental Mindoro, carried with it almost 900,000 liters of industrial fuel oil. En route from Bataan to Iloilo, the oil tanker encountered rough seas mid-way; it was an “accident” that no one had anticipated.
Soon, the oil spill manifested its deadly impact. In a recent report, the DSWD has said that the oil spill has affected nine municipalities in Oriental Mindoro, and two in Palawan. More than 100,000 residents were affected, while hundreds have fallen ill, with some experiencing respiratory-related symptoms. It should be noted that the Coast Guard described the oil slick as “black and thick, with strong odor.”
Though the oil spill has not yet directly affected the tourist area of Puerto Galera or the “center of the center of biodiversity” that is the Verde Island Passage, no day has passed without these two locations constantly being under threat. Authorities must ensure at all cost that the scope of the present affected areas will not spread out to unspoiled waters. Marine scientists have warned that any oil spill damage to Verde’s protected areas will be “irreversible” and would take generations to repair.
Aside from the environmental impact, the economic effect of the oil spill is also catastrophic, especially to the coastal towns whose residents rely on the waters for livelihood and survival. The Marcos administration was aware of this when the President reiterated the government’s long-term commitment to rehabilitate the oil spill affected areas.
Last April 15, the President conducted an aerial inspection to assess the extent of the damage and held a meeting with local executives in Pola, Oriental Mindoro. He also distributed livelihood assistance packages to the communities.
The President assured residents that all responsible government departments, such as DTI, DSWD, DOLE, and TESDA are committed to assist in terms of providing livelihood, training, and funding. “Rest assured that we will not leave you. You can count on the national government to be here with you until this issue is resolved, so that we can help you go back to your normal lives,” the President said.
The commitment of the national government for long-term rehabilitation is commendable. But there needs to be lessons learned. For example, the government has to invest in modern equipment and technology to immediately “cut” the source of an oil spill and “contain” the affected areas.
Reactive responses must also be thrown out of the window. Though they can’t prevent oil tankers from criss-crossing our archipelagic nation, maritime authorities must fully ensure that there are measures or protocols in place to assess if a vessel is sea-worthy. Otherwise, this Mindoro oil spill will just be one of the many maritime tragedies we will witness in this lifetime — and not the last of its kind.
