The P33-million request of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) for the oil spill clean up in Mindoro has been approved, the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) said on Monday.
At a news briefing, Marina spokesperson Sharon Aledo said the amount requested from the Oil Pollution Management Fund (OPMF) will be disbursed to the PCG “any time within the week.”
“The P33 million is for the equipment and materials needed for the immediate containment of the oil spill,” she said. “Marina has already made coordination with the PCG and it will be released very, very soon.”
Aledo said the OPMF has a revolving fund of P70 million.
“The OPMF Committee states that when 75 percent of the revolving fund has been spent, the PCG can still request for more. Ninety percent of the fund is going to be used for the oil spill, while 10 percent is for research purposes and admin concerns,” she explained.
Aledo said the agency has yet to determine if the amount is enough to contain the oil spill.
“We have yet to determine whether they would need more. We are just following the guidelines of Republic Act No. 9483 and the corresponding OPMF Committee joint circular,” she said. “We still have to determine how long this will run.”
To recall, MT Princess Empress, which was reportedly carrying 800,000 liters of industrial oil, sank on February 28 in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro.
The oil spill is projected to affect 36,000 hectares of mangrove forests, coral reefs, and seagrass beds in Mindoro, Batangas, and nearby provinces in the Visayas.
According to the Office of Civil Defense, a total of 162,000 persons in 118 barangays were affected in Oriental Mindoro and Palawan. A total of 13,588 fisherfolk were also affected by the oil spill.
As of last week, cleanup operations in various affected areas resulted in the recovery of 4,128 liters of oily water, along with tons of oil-soaked waste or debris, collected. A total of 8,300 families or 32,000 persons in Caluya, Antique, were affected, together with close to 70 fisherfolk.
Investigation ongoing
Aledo reported that Marina is currently conducting several investigations, including safety and administrative ones, to determine the accountability of the incident.
“Marina has already commenced its investigation to determine the cause of the unfortunate incident in view of the impact of the oil spill,” she said. “The ‘show-cause’ order has been issued and we conducted a preliminary hearing last week.”
Another hearing has been set for Thursday.
This includes investigations into allegations on the seaworthiness of MT Princess Empress, the validity of the certificates and franchises of RDC Reiled Marine Services and the vessel itself, and issues of alleged corrupt practices that might have led to the incident.
“Hopefully, we get to clarify many things from all key people involved and wind up as soon as possible,” she said. -30-
Image credits: Oceana Phils
