Tanker carrying over 200,000 gallons of crude sinks in Philippines’ water, still to be located

Mar 06, 2023 News

Officials says over 36,000 hectare of coral reefs, mangroves, and seagrass possibly affected by oil slick
Bans swimming and fishing

A tanker carrying over 200,000 gallons of crude sunk in Philippines’ water last Thursday, putting at risk several municipalities and over 36,000 hectares of the country’s coral reefs, mangroves and sea grass. This is according to Philippines Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

Scenes from the ongoing cleanup of Philippines oil spill (DENR photos)

The tanker, MT Princess Empress that was en route to Iloilo province was carrying about 800,000 litres (211,338 gallons) of industrial fuel oil. The environmental officials plan to use a multibeam survey to locate the sunken vessel before it causes more damage to the country’s ecosystem.

The tanker sank southwest of the capital Manila and has prompted at least seven coastal towns to ban fishing and swimming as authorities scramble to contain the spill.

According to the Philippine Coast Guard, the vessel encountered engine trouble on Tuesday due to overheating and drifted due to rough sea conditions. However, it is not clear what caused it to sink, but all 20 crew members were rescued by a passing vessel before it went down.

Reuters reported, Carlos Primo David, undersecretary at the environment ministry, said it was crucial authorities find the tanker soon, as there could still be a large volume of oil inside. “If we can recover it that will help us a lot in containing the spill,” he said in a media briefing, adding, “Bear in mind that the cleanup will be more difficult if more oil reaches coastal areas.”

Environment Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo Loyzaga said a rapid assessment was being undertaken of coastal and marine habitats that could be impacted. “The possible contamination might actually affect the viability of these systems,” Loyzaga warned in a recorded message.

The Secretary met with Naujan Mayor Henry Joel Teves and representatives from the Provincial Governor’s Office, Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, and the Philippines’ Coast Guard on March 3, 2023 to assess the extent and potential impacts of the oil spill from the sunken MT Princess Empress.

The DENR is performing disaster forensics in collaboration with the University of the Philippines-Marine Science Institute (UP-MSI) to assess immediate actions to protect mangroves, sea grass, and over 36,000 hectares of coral reefs in Bulalacao, Oriental Mindoro and Caluya, Antique that can be potentially affected by the oil slick.

Secretary Loyzaga is in talks with the Secretaries of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to finalize arrangements on the augmentation for the cash-for-work scheme for the clean-up teams in the local communities.

An emergency coordination meeting and briefing was convened by DENR Task Force Commander Undersecretary, Marilou Erni which was attended by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), Department of Health (DOH). Notably, each agency provided updates on its individual operations on site and the joint efforts on shoreline cleanup operations, site assessments, and surveillance to determine the exact location of the sunken tanker, and protection of marine ecosystems among others.

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

In a recent update, the UP Marine Science Institute forecasts that the oil spill will reach other areas in about a week’s time.