Mindoro oil spill cleanup continues

MANILA, Philippines — Two months after the tanker Princess Empress sank, oil spill cleanup in the waters off Oriental Mindoro continues, according to the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).

Marine science technicians tested absorbent pads made from coconut oil and fiber, which were installed in Barangay Navotas in Calapan City on May 1, the PCG reported yesterday.

On Tuesday, two tug boats – Titan 1 and Cabilao of Malayan Towage and Salvage Corp. – deployed oil spill booms and a skimmer as well as conducted “manual scooping” in the area where the vessel sank to contain and recover sighted oil sheens off Balingawan Point.

The PCG said the tug boats recovered 400 liters of oily water mixtures.

The agency said 48.45 kilometers of the 57.77 kilometers of shoreline affected by the oil spill have been cleaned.

Up to 5,963 sacks of oil-contaminated debris have been collected in Naujan, Calapan and Pola towns as of Tuesday.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources said damage to coral reefs, seagrasses, mangroves and fisheries was estimated at P7 billion.