On February 28, 2023, the MT Princess Empress, a motor tanker carrying 800,000 liters of industrial fuel oil, sank in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro, causing a massive oil spill.
Illustration by Dovie
The governor of Oriental Mindoro, Humerlito Dolor, has proposed declaring a state of calamity (SOC) for the entire province as the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Center (NDRRMC) has reported that the incident currently has affected about 193,000 individuals, or about 41,000 families just within the province. Also, due to the strong current in the sea, the oil spread quickly, reaching a large number of areas where three more provinces are affected, affecting a total of more than 193,000 people from 259 barangays.
There have been reports of health-related problems caused by the oil spill, with 211 residents of Oriental Mindoro exhibiting respiratory symptoms, skin irritations, headache and dizziness, and even vomiting and diarrhea. Moreover, not only is their health at stake but so is their livelihood. According to NDRRMC, around 24,000 farmers and fisherfolks are affected, and the estimated cost of damage to their agriculture sector is already at nearly 5 billion pesos. The toxification of water, which contaminates several marine resources and may endanger humans when they come in contact with the water, is the main reason why most fishing activities have been suspended or banned.
Some environmental scientists also claimed that the environmental effects might linger for years and seriously impact the area's food supply. Furthermore, as of May 4, 2023, data from the Philippines Marine Science Institute (UPMSI) indicates that this oil spill may affect nearly 36,000 hectares of coral reefs, mangroves, and seagrass. In turn, this will have a consequence on tourism, particularly in the areas of Palawan that have been reached by the oil slick.
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) is operating in accordance with the National Oil Spill Contingency Plan (NOSCOP), and they recently raised the level of their response efforts to the highest level or Tier 3, which indicates that the problem has grown in scope and now necessitates a national-level response and assistance from the international community. As of March 30, 2023, they have implemented clean-up operations where PCG's offshore operations have gathered about 13,000 liters of oily water mixture and almost 140 sacks of oil-contaminated materials. Meanwhile, in the shorelines of the 13 barangays in Oriental Mindoro, the task force has collected almost 4,000 sacks and 22 drums of waste. Additionally, there have been donations and cash-for-work initiatives for the affected residents.
The tanker is owned by RDC Reield Marines Services and it is said that it sunk due to big waves that day. Nevertheless, the owner is held accountable by the government for the damages that it has caused to the environment and the health and livelihood of the residents near the area. They may face fines and some criminal charges. RDC Reield Marines Services issued an apology and stated that actions were being taken to resolve the issue and lessen its effects.
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