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Tolentino: Mindoro oil spill threatens fisherfolk, biodiversity and tourism

PHILIPPINES, March 7 - Press Release
March 7, 2023

Tolentino: Mindoro oil spill threatens fisherfolk, biodiversity and tourism

MANILA - Senator Francis 'TOL' N. Tolentino is seeking an in-depth assessment that would look into the vast damages brought by an oil spill incident in Mindoro last month and now threatening lives of fisherfolk, marine biodiversity and tourism as it heads towards the famous beaches of the world-renowned Boracay Island.

During the period of interpellation following Tolentino's Monday's privilege speech in connection with the February 28 incident in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro, the senator disclosed that the extent of the oil spill coming from motor tanker MT Princess Empress has already reached major fishing areas, and continues to spread to pristine fishing breeding grounds--threatening the Verde Island Passage, which is considered the world's "Center of the Center of Marine Shorefish Biodiversity" and along Western Visayas where Boracay Island is situated.

"Because the passageway from Mindoro to Romblon via the Verde Island Passage, it would mostly affect Oriental Mindoro and perhaps Boracay," said Tolentino.

"Today, 18,000 fishermen lost their livelihood. If we fail to contain the oil spill, it will affect thousands more," the senator added.

Tolentino expressed concern that the Mindoro oil spill incident would be a déjà vu or worse than of the 2006 tragedy when MT Solar-1 sank off the coast of Guimaras, which carried 2.1 million liters of bunker fuel.

"Ngayon, Mr. President, nangyari na naman po ito. The current oil spill trajectory model by marine experts projected that approximately 20,000 hectares of coral reef, 9,900 hectares of mangroves, 6,000 hectares of seagrass may be affected, and the oil spill may also potentially reach as far as the shores of Palawan. This is more far reaching than the damage caused by MT Solar-1," the senator stressed in his privilege speech.

The 2006 Guimaras incident had affected 1,500 hectares of the local ecosystem comprised of mangroves, seagrass, and coral reefs, as well as affecting the livelihood of 20,000 fishermen, and required a long period of rehabilitation.

"The projection, Mr. President, right now coming from the local PDRRMO of Oriental Mindoro is that more than 10,000 families are already affected by the oil spill alone but this is an evolving story... as days, as hours pass by we, will have additional reports perhaps of a greater damage and I think the estimate right now is that it would pass the Guimaras oil spill," he added.

Senate President Pro-Tempore Loren Legarda, Majority Floor Leader Sen. Joel Villanueva, Committee on Environment and Natural Resources chair Sen. Cynthia Villar, and Sen. Pia Cayetano, threw their full support over Tolentino's call for an in-depth assessment of the Mindoro oil spill.

Authorities at present continue to race against time in containing the 800,000-liter that spilled out from the sunken oil tanker. As of Monday afternoon, 76 coastal barangays across nine towns in Oriental Mindoro have been placed under the state of calamity.

"We have the obligation to protect and preserve the marine environment," Tolentino said.