CITY OF SAN FERNANDO — The fatalities in Central Luzon due to rains and flooding have climbed to nine, according to the Police Regional Office Region III (PRO-3).
Latest data from PRO-3 showed that six casualties are from Bulacan province who were suspected to have drowned during the onslaught of the southwest monsoon intensified by Typhoon "Carina."
Among the casualties was a barangay kagawad from Marilao town who was reportedly assisting his constituents evacuate.
The victim's body was recovered in deep floodwater.
The remaining three deaths are from Pampanga, including the mother and child in Angeles City and another woman from Barangay Sta. Cruz, Lubao town.
Two persons from Zambales and Bataan were reported missing as of yesterday morning, July 26.
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported on Friday that a crew member of the Motor Tanker Terra Nova which sank Thursday around 1 am off the waters of Limay, Bataan has been found and confirmed dead.
The PCG said that authorities are working to contain a possible massive oil spill in Manila Bay from the tanker's cargo of 1,494 metric tons of industrial fuel oil, supposedly bound for Iloilo when it capsized.
The lone fatality from the MT Terra Nova's 17 crew was identified as Second Mate Alvin Llandelar, 40 years old.
His body was found by personnel of the BRP Melchora Aquino in the vicinity waters off Limay, Bataan around 3:00 pm of July 25.
The other crew members were rescued by the PCG amid strong waves and heavy rains brought about by Typhoon Carina and the southwest monsoon.
PCG Commandant Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan deployed three 44-meter multi-role response vessels to apply oil dispersants.
This will mitigate the impact prior to siphoning, to augment the ongoing oil spill response operations in Bataan.
The oil spill response operations are being conducted in accordance with the National Oil Spill Contingency Plan – an interagency and public-private partnership approach on combatting oil spill.
The clean up is being led by the PCG's Marine Environmental Protection Command along with several volunteer Oil Spill Response Organizations, Petron, the PCG Auxiliary and local government units.
During an aerial inspection on Thursday, authorities discovered a 3.7-km-long oil spill east of Lamao Point in Limay.
PCG spokesperson Rear Admiral Armand Balilo said the oil is moving east to northeast carried by strong currents.
He added that the PCG was targeting to finish siphoning the industrial fuel in seven days.
Balilo said they want to protect the waters of Bataan and Manila Bay from environmental, social, economic, financial, and political impacts.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. last Thursday ordered the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and other agencies to assess the environmental impact of the oil spill from MT Terra Nova.
The DENR said it will work with the Department of Science and Technology, and PCG in the assessment, which will allow the government to prepare for mitigation measures.