‘In shades of brown and black’; this perfectly describes the coastal waters of Oriental Mindoro as the MT Princess Empress sunken ship continues to spread 900,000 gallons of industrial oil to the said area. It is currently affecting 32000 families with millions worth of damages in the Mimaropa region, and if its containment will not be hastened with the utmost efficiency- it may permanently stain not just the marine ecosystem of the said area, but also the livelihoods of the families depending on it.
After sinking last February 28, the said ship was found in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro and just in the span of one month, nine out of 15 municipalities in the province have been listed under the State of Calamity, with neighboring communities such as Palawan, Antique, and Western Visayas slowly reaping the very same cloudy waters as of recent. Reports show that over 128 million pesos of damages have been accounted for. Cleaning operations led by the Department of Environment and National Resources (DENR), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), LGUs, NGOs, and private sectors have been at work.
The affected communities of the region have been placed under a compensation plan which includes a 45-day Cash for Work implementation that began on March 6 and up to May this year, along with Emergency Cash Transfers (ECTs) and food packets to be distributed to them. The Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) program has also been organized in selected municipalities.
Within the next estimated four months of clean-up, the affected families shall savor the benefits brought by these alternatives to keep them afloat despite trying times. And while it is true that the extent of the spill poses a huge hurdle for the concerned agencies at play, we are left to wonder why our country hasn’t been equipped with enough resources to deal with such man-made environmental catastrophes; especially with the fact that the Philippines is known for its island features that come with the responsibility of taking good care of it? Previous oil spills in the country, notably the Guimaras oil spill of 2006 and the Iloilo oil spill of 2020 have seen similar fates of ill-preparedness and sluggish response, prolonging the agony of affected communities and killing rich biomes of aquatic life.
Marine biodiversity is always at the receiving end of intoxication from harmful chemicals that lead to fish kill and rise in toxicity levels; and in this case, it would take an extensive period for hectares-worth of coral reefs, mangroves, and seagrass to fully heal from reparations brought by exposure from industrial fuel.
Moreover, these coastal calamities always come at the cost of the communities living within these contaminated waters. Fisherfolks that have been laid down from work are not just worried about their source of income; their health is also at risk from unsafe food sources that could affect their daily living, especially since residents from the said areas have been admitted to hospitals due to dizziness, nausea, and cramps. As much as they have been deservingly compensated, they should have their livelihoods protected by the government– with the promise of another ‘tabo-tabo’ solution not being the best response to a coastal dilemma like this.
It is imperative that the company behind the MT Princess Empress, RDC Reield Marine Services, be held liable for the ecological damage they brought to the rich flora and fauna of Oriental Mindoro and be held accountable for the lost livelihood and welfare of almost 150,000 people. We affirm Senator Risa Hontiveros’ call to hold accountable officials from the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) for their “negligence and nonfeasance” that is continuing to wreak havoc in the environment and communities on the affected areas.
Such damages to the ecosystem, health, and welfare of all beings in Oriental Mindoro and its immediate surroundings should be considered a crime. This is no less than an environmental murder. A serious crime against the Filipino people.
Calling upon foreign aid from the United States and Japan is commendable, but hopefully, this does not begin a certain co-dependence on other countries to solve our environmental troubles. This would be a good appeal for the government to invest and fund in educating our fisherfolks on necessary technology that could at least help them make the clean-up much easier so that we wouldn’t have to wait for a boost from other developed nations. An early remedy made by local fishermen in the area was to use coconut leaves and husks to make an oil barrier, and as archaic and desperate as this measure may be, this can be further developed and researched to help solve oil spills in the future.
Recent photos have revealed that the tank is still subjected to extraction in the area, and God only knows how much industrial oil is left to be expelled during this process. Nonetheless, all concerned agencies must be thorough enough to devise a plan to carefully bring it back to land. The damage has been done, and we could only do so much to prevent more of it. The government must be mindful enough to know that a swift response would mean saving not just the environment, but also the people that have made a life from it.