Gov’t prepared to assist families affected by Mindoro oil spill — Marcos

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said on Friday that the government was prepared to help the families affected by the oil spill brought on by the sinking of a motor tanker in Oriental Mindoro.
 
Affected families and individuals will receive assistance from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Marcos said.
 
“We are closely monitoring the situation with the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) as the lead agency. Special attention will be given to the affected fisherfolks who will be losing their source of livelihood because of the oil spill,” he said.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), together with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), are ready to provide support to the local government units and determine their needs, he added.
 
Marcos also expressed gratitude to private corporations such as Petron and Shell for offering their equipment to address the impact of the oil spill.
 
The DENR said more than 2,000 hectares of coral reefs, mangroves, and seagrass can be potentially affected by the oil spill caused by the sinking of the MT Princess Empress, which was carrying 800,000 liters of industrial fuel oil, due to strong waves on February 28.
 
Based on the initial findings, the DENR said approximately 591 hectares of coral reefs, 1,626 hectares of mangroves, and 362 hectares of seagrass or seaweed can be potentially affected.

The DENR also said that as of Friday, March 3, the coastal areas of Pola town, which had already declared a state of calamity due to the oil spill, were the most affected.
 
On Friday, Oriental Mindoro Governor Humerlito Dolor said he suspended fishing activities in the affected areas.
 
The PCG has already deployed divers and marine experts to aid in the containment operation and installed an oil spill boom to prevent further spread. — VBL, GMA Integrated News