Oil spill affects more towns in Ilocos Norte

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines – An oil spill in the waters of Ilocos Sur and La Union has spread to three more towns in Ilocos Norte.

Reports yesterday said the oil spill has reached coastal villages in the towns of Currimao, Badoc and Bacarra.

Arthur Valente, fishery coordinator of the provincial agriculture office, said Barangay Saud was hardest hit by the oil spill.

The oil spill was first reported to have affected Paoay town after it struck the Lingayen Gulf in Pangasinan as well as the coastlines of La Union and Ilocos Sur.

La Union was placed under a state of calamity to enable officials to utilize their calamity funds in the cleanup.

Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesman Armand Balilo said an aerial survey showed that the oil spill did not affect the entire coastline of La Union to Ilocos Norte.

Lt. Edison Abanilla, PCG commander in Currimao, said the PCG has so far recovered 250 liters of bunker fuel in Barangay Masinloc in Paoay and 100 liters in Barangay Poblacion in Currimao.

Authorities are still investigating if the oil spill originated from a Myanmar vessel that sank in the waters of Bolinao in Pangasinan last Feb. 17 or from an oil tanker that docked in Bangar town in La Union.  â€“ Charlie Lagasca, Teddy Molina, Raymund Catindig