MANILA, Philippines — The oil spilled by sunken MT Princess Empress has yet to reach Oriental Mindoro's Puerto Galera town, which is known for its powdery white sand beaches and rich marine life.
In an interview with Teleradyo on Monday, Puerto Galera Mayor Rocky Ilagan said they have to see any traces of oil along the shoreline or in the water.
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"This is good news for those who want to go to Puerto Galera," Ilagan said, noting the beach destination’s tourist arrivals have reached 20,000 a month and may exceed pre-pandemic levels.
"If the oil spill reaches us, we have a boom to block the spread. We are prepared," he added.
Authorities are scrambling to recover the vessel that sank off Oriental Mindoro on February 28 and contain the oil spill to prevent further environmental damage.
In the southern part of Oriental Mindoro, the incident is severely disrupting the livelihoods of locals, especially the fishers who have been ordered to put their activities on hold. It is also hurting the tourism sector in the area, resulting in empty beaches and canceled reservations.
Slick from the oil spill has also reached the provinces of Antique and Palawan.
More than 137,000 people in MIMAROPA and Western Visayas have been impacted by the oil spill, according to the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
VIP at risk
A recent trajectory model produced by the University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute projected that some of the oil leaked from the tanker may flow northwards toward the Verde Island Passage (VIP) by March 16 due to the weakening of the northeast monsoon or amihan.
If this happens, the coastal areas of Calapan, Verde Island, and some parts of Batangas will be affected.
The Verde Island Passage between Batangas and Mindoro is considered by scientists as the global center of marine biodiversity. It is home to over 1,700 fish species, 300 coral species and 36 marine protected areas.
Endangered and threatened species such as hawksbill turtles, whale sharks, manta rays, dugongs, humphead wrasses, giant groupers, and giant clams are also found in the marine corridor.
Environmental groups warned that the influx of liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects in Batangas increases the possibility of another oil spill threatening the extremely rich but already fragile passage.
Five of the country’s existing gas plants are found in Batangas City, while one is in Cebu. Batangas is also the site of eight proposed gas plants and seven planned LNG terminals.