Oil droplets from sunken ship reach 2 villages

MANILA, Philippines - Apart from a two-kilometer oil sheen, droplets of bunker oil the size of a five-peso coin from the sunken cargo ship M/V Sportivo have reached the shorelines of at least two villages in Guimaras province, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said yesterday. 

Commodore Athelo Ybanez, PCG Western Visayas District commander, said the bunker oil droplets had been observed at the shorelines of Barangays Hoskyn and Rizal as of noon yesterday. 

Ybanez said they were able to visit Barangay Hoskyn last Tuesday and saw that only portions of the village were affected. “There were just spots,” he said.

Ybanez, however, said the damage caused by the oil droplets on the shorelines of the two Guimaras villages was only minimal because of the pro-active response of the residents.

“We all know that they (residents of Guimaras) had a bad experience with M/T Solar 1. So on day one when the cargo vessel sank and they learned that it was carrying bunker oil, they immediately mobilized and fabricated improvised oil spill booms made of dayami (hay) and laid out the improvised booms to absorb the oil,” Ybanez said.

The oil tanker M/T Solar 1 was carrying two million liters of bunker fuel when it sank near Guimaras Island during a violent storm on Aug. 11, 2006. About 500,000 liters of oil reportedly leaked into the water.

In the case of the M/V Sportivo, the improvised oil spill booms prevented more bunker oil that leaked out from reaching the shorelines. The PCG also sprayed chemical dispersants to get rid of the oil.

The PCG said there remains to be a two-kilometer long oil sheen from the area where the vessel capsized, with the tide carrying it toward the direction of Guimaras. 

Ybanez said they have yet to determine if the oil leak came from a damaged fuel line or if the officers and crew of M/V Sportivo failed to close the fuel valve. 

Last Tuesday, PCG divers attempted to check the ship’s condition but strong underwater current and poor visibility prevented them from doing so. They were only able to install markers to alert other ships heading to the Port of Iloilo to steer clear of the spot where the M/V Sportivo sank. 

The PCG would consult with other concerned agencies such as the Department of Health, Environmental Management Bureau, and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources to determine the full effects of the sea mishap on the marine environment and livelihood of Guimaras residents. Air and water samples would also be taken for tests.

Ybanez said he has received information that M/V Sportivo was loaded with 28,000 sacks of fertilizer.

“The sea is also very vast so the water current would carry the fertilizer away from the area. Someone told me that when fertilizer is dissolved, it would not have an adverse effect on the marine environment,” he said.

The 633-gross-ton M/V Sportivo was reportedly anchored at the Iloilo Strait, between Iloilo City and Guimaras, when its anchor’s chain snapped due to rough seas triggered by Tropical Depression Agaton last Jan. 19.  

The vessel then drifted from its anchor position and collided with another cargo ship, the M/V Jehan-5. As a result, it sustained a big hole on the left or port side midship, took in seawater and sank some 1,500 yards east of the Iloilo River’s entrance. 

The vessel, owned by Seen Sam Shipping Inc., reportedly sank 90 feet below water. All its 29 officers and crew were safely rescued.