CASE CLOSED

OIL SLICK. Batangas Gov. Hermilando Mandanas (3rd from left, seated), provincial officials, and representatives from the Batangas Coast Guard during a conference on the oil spill.

A collective sigh of relief can now be shared by everyone in the province particularly environmental advocates, tourism stakeholders, and fishermen as the dreaded oil spill is now considered as a “case closed.”

The local government units within the 14-kilometer danger zone in Batangas province, previously under threat from the oil spill originating from the sunken oil tanker MT Princess Empress, can rest assured now that their concerns about environmental and tourism damage had been addressed.

This assurance came during a meeting between the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) in Batangas and Batangas Gov. Hermilando Mandanas regarding the oil spill resulting from the ill-fated oil tanker sinking in the waters off Naujan, Oriental Mindoro way back in February 28, 2023.

During the meeting at Batangas Capitol, PCG Batangas Commander Captain Victorino Acosta IV officially declared that "there is no longer any remaining oil spill, especially in the seven barangays of Isla Verde Island in Batangas City and the town of Tingloy."

Collaboration

Acosta emphasized the commendable collaboration between various agencies and the private sector, which led to the successful containment and mitigation of the oil spill's impact on the environment and marine biodiversity of the province.

In attendance at the meeting were Provincial Administrator Wilfredo Racelis, Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) Head Dr. Amor Calayan, Batangas City DRRMO Chief Rod De la Roca, and representatives from various offices of the Batangas Provincial Government.

Before the meeting, it was agreed to conduct a final survey, ocular inspection, and water quality sampling to officially declare the conclusion and removal of the oil spill response. As a result, a final survey and inspection were conducted to officially close this chapter.

Totally contained

Apart from officially declaring the crisis as totally contained, the report also detailed the measures taken by the PCG to address the situation.

The Marine Environmental Protection Command (MEPCOM) is the primary point of contact for oil spill response operations and comprises the National Operations Center for Oil Pollution (NOCOP).

Six other local government units in the province of Batangas, namely Mabini, Bauan, Lobo, San Luis, San Pascual, and Tingloy, were also affected by the oil spill.

For his part, Governor Mandanas expressed his gratitude and recognition to all the colleagues from the provincial government and PCG Batangas for their swift response to the maritime incident.

Beyond Batangas, the oil spill had a significant impact on the seas of Antique, Oriental Mindoro and Palawan, home to world-class beach resorts.

900,000 liters

The oil tanker responsible for the spill, owned by RDC Reield Marine Services, was crewed by 20 people and was en route to Iloilo City laden with 900,000 liters of industrial fuel oil from SL Gas Harbor Terminal in Limay, Bataan.

Industrial fuel oil, also known as "black oil," is considered highly toxic to the environment, according to an energy sector source.

The Tablas Strait, where the oil spill occurred, is a vital waterway between the islands of Mindoro, Marinduque, Panay, and Tablas, serving as a major shipping route in the Philippines.

The strait, along with its adjacent water bodies, including the Verde Island Passage, is one of the most biodiverse regions in the country.

The owners of the ill-fated oil tanker paid at least $100 million for the cleanup.

Additionally, the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) issued a cease and desist order against the owner of the sunken MT Princess Empress oil tanker, 23 days after the disaster occurred.

The Malayan Towage and Salvage Corp. (MSTC) led the oil spill recovery efforts a few weeks after the sinking of MT Princess Empress, with assistance from the Diving Support Vessel (DSV) Fire Opal.

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