Oil spill found off Navotas

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported yesterday that around 500 liters of automotive diesel oil (ADO) was recently found in the waters near Pier 2 of the Navotas Fishport Center.

In a statement, the PCG said the Philippine Navy-National Capital Region Command (PN-NCRCOM) Sea Marshal informed them the oil spill was sighted at the Buena Suerte Fishing and Trading Corp. at around 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 24.

The PCG immediately sent its Marine Environmental Protection Group (MEPGRU) to check the veracity of the report and confirmed that 500 liters of ADO was scattered in the area.

The MEPGRU sought the help of civilians in cleaning up the oil spill. They used absorbent materials and succeeded in completely extracting the oil from the water.

Initial investigation conducted by the PCG showed that based on the prevailing direction of the wind and the current, the oil drifted from south entrance of Navotas Fish Port Center.

PCG station Bataan attempted to locate the possible source of oil spillage but was unsuccessful.   – Evelyn Macairan