PCG reports 60% progress in cleaning oil spill-hit coastlines in Oriental Mindoro

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Thursday reported 60% progress in the situation on coastal areas affected by the oil spill in Oriental Mindoro.

“Ang naiulat kahapon sa aming accounting ay nasa 60% na po 'yung ating progreso, so this is a good progress sa ating pagtatanggal ng langis sa mga naapektuhan na mga coastlines,” PCG deputy commandant for operations Vice Admiral Rolando Lizor Punzalan Jr. said at a televised public briefing.

(It was reported to us that we already have 60% progress in our cleanup of oil spill-affected coastlines, so this is a good.)

Based on the March 20 survey of the sunken MT Princess Empress, Punzalan said five tanks sustained structural damage but oil is not leaking from them.

He said they suspect that three tanks contain oil.

Meanwhile, the PCG said 13,383 liters of oily water mixture and 139 sacks of oil-contaminated materials have been collected so far during its offshore oil spill response operations.

Along shorelines, the PCG collected 3,937 sacks and 22 drums of waste in 13 affected barangays in Naujan, Bulalacao, and Pola, all in Oriental Mindoro, as of Wednesday.

MT Princess Empress was carrying around 900,000 liters of industrial fuel oil when it sank in heavy seas on February 28.

More than 300,000 liters of oil are still left in the vessel, the PCG earlier said.

As of Thursday, 172,928 people or 36,658 families in Mimaropa and Western Visayas were affected by the oil spill, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said.

A total of 203 people fell ill due to the oil spill, it added.

A state of calamity was declared in 11 affected cities and municipalities, the NDRRMC also said. —KBK, GMA Integrated News