Bataan oil spill reaches waters off Bulacan

ENVIRONMENT Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga said on Saturday, July 27, 2024, that the oil spill caused by the sunken MT Terra Nova in Limay, Bataan has already reached the waters off Bulacan and might also spread to Cavite and Pampanga if not contained.

During a situation briefing on the effects of Habagat and Typhoon Carina in Malolos, Bulacan, Yulo-Loyzaga told President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. that the Biodiversity Management Bureau have already identified the possible scenarios and areas seen to be affected by the oil spill.

“As we see from this image, it has spread quite quickly towards the Bulacan area. Bulacan would be the main site, Mr. President. At this point, if the weather persists, because we are dependent on wind and currents, we are also dependent on the capping of leaks and the intervention at the vessel site,” Yulo-Loyzaga said as she was showing Marcos an image of the oil spill from the Philippine Satellite Agency.

“We just got word that there are sightings of the flow towards Corregidor. Cavite would be an area of possible impact,” she added.

Bulacan Governor Daniel Fernando for his part confirmed that an oil spill was sighted in the coastal area of Barangay Pamarawan, Malolos City.

Bulacan is currently under a state of calamity due to the onslaught of the combined effects of the habagat and Typhoon Carina.

Fernando requested help from the National Government to set up oil slick booms in the coastal areas of Bulacan to protect its aquatic resources and fishpond industry.

Yulo-Loyzaga, however, advised the local government units to come up with an organic oil boom made out of rice straws and coconut husks, as slick booms are too expensive, to which Marcos agreed.

She committed to sending manpower to help them make organic booms.

Task Force

Marcos has ordered the creation of an inter-agency task force to quickly address the effects of the oil spill, which was caused by the capsizing of MT Terra Nova off the coast of Limay, Bataan on July 25 while carrying 1.4 million liters of industrial fuel.

A crew member died during the incident.

The task force will be led by the Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) and will include the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), and Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) as members.

The Department of Health (DOH), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), and Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) are also included in the task force.

In a statement PCG spokesperson Rear Admiral Armand Balilo said the vessel has rested on the sea floor under 34 meters of water.

He said oil spills have reached about 12 to 14 kilometers long, but it remains “manageable” and the situation is “not yet alarming.”

“Base sa pag-aaral ng ating mga MEP (Marine Environment Protection) personnel, considering na 34 meters deep ang pinaglubugan ng barko, kayang matapos ang siphoning within seven days. Walang dapat ipag-aalala, pero hindi kami nagpapakampante. We are still preparing for the worst-case scenario to address the potential negative impact to the marine environment,” said Balilo.

(Based on the study conducted by our Marine Environment Protection (MEP) personnel, considering that the ship sank at a depth of 34 meters, siphoning can be completed within seven days. There is no need to worry, but we are not being complacent. We are still preparing for the worst-case scenario to address the potential negative impact on the marine environment.)

“We are utilizing our manpower, mobilizing our resources, consulting with experts, and collaborating with LGUs and other stakeholders to avoid a marine environment catastrophe,” he added.

The local government of Limay has already imposed a fishing ban in the area due to the hazards of the oil spill.

The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) said they will sample fish in areas affected by the oil spill.

“‘Yung isda kasi, they can actually swim away from the affected area. Hindi naman kaagad ‘yan talaga maaapektuhan,” BFAR spokesperson Nazario Briguera said in a radio interview.

(Fish can actually swim away from the affected area. They won't be immediately affected.)

“Pero kung malawakan na ang pagtagas, kailangan talaga magkaroon na ng pag-aanalisa mismo do’n sa mga isda kung meron nang contamination na nangyayari sa kanila,” he added.

(But if the leakage becomes widespread, an analysis of the fish is really necessary to determine if contamination is occurring.) (TPM/SunStar Philippines)