‘Oil spill may reach Batangas, Puerto Galera’

MANILA, Philippines — Local government officials in Batangas as well as in Puerto Galera and Calapan in Oriental Mindoro should prepare amid the threat of oil spill from the sunken motor tanker MT Princess Empress.

“Based on the latest projection on the trajectory of the oil spill, because of the weakening of amihan and the prevailing current, part of the oil slick can go to the northern part of Oriental Mindoro and reach Puerto Galera, Calapan and some areas in Batangas,” University of the Philippines-Marine Science Institute (UP-MSI) associate professor Dr. Irene Rodriguez said in a radio interview.

She said that the oil slick may reach ”very close” to the waters of Puerto Galera and Calapan by today or tomorrow.

”The local government units in areas covering the Verde Island Passage (VIP) in Calapan, Puerto Galera and some areas in Batangas should prepare,” Rodriguez said.

The VIP is the body of water between Batangas and Mindoro. It has the highest concentration of coastal fishes, corals, crustaceans, mollusks, seagrasses and mangroves, and is home to endangered and threatened species.

Rodriguez said the UP-MSI is awaiting reports from local government units, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and Philippine Coast Guard on sightings, oil debris and analysis on water samples to determine the extent of the damage caused by the oil spill.

Meanwhile, the Department of Health (DOH) said 122 people have fallen ill due to the oil spill.

DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said most of the cases involved cough, cold and headache. There were also cases of dizziness, difficulty in breathing, rashes and asthma attacks.

The DOH had earlier advised residents of affected communities to relocate until the areas have been declared safe. – Rhodina Villanueva