9 Mindoro towns affected by oil spill

CAMP VICENTE LIM, Laguna, Philippines — Nine of the 13 towns in Oriental Mindoro have been affected by the oil spill from the sunken motor tanker MT Princess Empress.

Based on the monitoring report of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO), these are Naujan, Pola, Pinamalayan, Gloria, Basud, Bongabong, Roxas, Mansalay and Bulacacao.

In Pola, 11 of the 23 barangays were most affected. The town had earlier been placed under a state of calamity due to the oil spill.

Two barangays in Naujan, nine in Pinamalayan, seven in Gloria, four in Bansud, eight in Bongabong, five in Roxas, eight in Mansalay and seven in Bulalacao were affected by the oil spill.

The PDRRMO said 10,362 families or 48,885 people were affected.

The Philippine Coast Guard had earlier said the oil spill reached Caluya town in Antique.

The coastlines of Sitio Sabang in Barangay Tinogbok, Liwagao Island in Barangay Sibolo and Sitio Tambak in Barangay Semirara were affected.

NAMRIA ship searches for sunken vessel

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said the BRP Hydrographer Ventura of the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority arrived in Oriental Mindoro on Saturday night to help locate the sunken vessel.

The DENR said it is conducting disaster forensics with the University of the Philippines-Marine Science Institute to protect mangroves, seagrass and over 36,000 hectares of coral reefs in Bulalacao, Oriental Mindoro and Caluya, Antique that can be potentially affected by the oil slick.

The DENR Environmental Management Bureau-Mimaropa office continues its cleanup operations using locally available oil-absorbent materials.

The agency is also coordinating with Semirara Mining and Power Corp. to help and assist in the cleanup operations in Caluya, Antique.