The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said it has completed 80 percent of the cleanup of the oil spill incident off the town of Jasaaan, Misamis Oriental.
The oil spill last April 3 resulted from the sinking of cargo vessel MV Racal IV which has been docked in a shipyard in the coastal town for five years.
DENR Secretary Roy Cimatu said in a statement the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) in Northern Mindanao is coordinating with the local government of Jasaan, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the owner of the affected vessel to prevent further contamination of coastal communities.
Based on the initial investigation of the EMB, three tons of bunker oil has contaminated one square kilometer portion of the bay, affecting five barangays including Lower Jasaan, Upper Jasaan, Luz Banzon, Kimaya and Solana.
Reynaldo Digamo, EMB-Misamis Oriental regional director, said a “faint odor” was noted from the spill along the coast of Barangay Luz Banzon.
Likewise, accumulation of oil debris was also seen in mangrove trees and docked boats which affected the livelihood of fisherfolk.
Digamo said the PCG commissioned Far East Fuel Corp., a registered transport, storage and disposal facility to remove and transport the collected oil and oil-contaminated materials. -Jed Macapagal
