THE National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) yesterday said 84.26 percent of the coastline affected by the oil spill caused by the February 28 sinking of the MT Princess Empress off Oriental Mindoro has been cleaned.
Citing information from the Philippine Coast Guard as of Wednesday afternoon, the agency said 62.95 kilometers of the total 74.71 kilometers affected coastline has been cleared of oil, leaving 11.75 kilometers, or about 15.74 percent of the total affected areas, yet to be cleaned.
“The Philippine Coast Guard reported that as of May 10, the estimated total length of coastline acceptably cleaned is now at 84.26 percent with the remaining length of affected coastline at 15.74 percent,” said NDRRMC spokesman Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV.
The NDRRMC said a total of 6,801 liters or 5,836.5 kilos of waste and 300,603.6 liters or 798,482.24 kilos of “contaminated wastes” have been collected in the continuing cleanup operations.
It said the PCG will continue “joint shoreline surveys and assessment” with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DENR) and local government units “to agree on endpoints and determine standards for a clean bill of health.”
NDRRMC said the PCG will also continue its “aggressive offshore containment and recovery operations to reduce shoreline impacts.”
Some 40,733 families or 192,616 individuals have been affected by the oil spill, the NDRRMC said. A total of 211 people, all from Pola town, have contracted oil spill-related diseases, it added.
The NDRRMC placed at P4.73 billion the damage caused by the oil spill in Mimaropa, Calabarzon and Western Visayas.
It said the Department of Social Welfare and Development has already provided P453.55 million in assistance to the affected population.
It also said the DENR has provided P516.87 million in early recovery assistance to beneficiaries in Mimaropa, Calabarzon and Western Visayas.
The continuing clean-up has left portions of waters in Oriental Mindoro now safe for fishing activities based on the lab tests conducted by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources on April 17 and 24, according to Malacanang.
Presidential Communications Office Secretary Cheloy Garafil said the seafood products from waters in clusters 4 and 5 are now safe for human consumption but the public has been advised to make sure their catch are free from floating oil and other signs of contamination.
Cluster 4 is composed of the municipalities of Bongabong, Roxas, Mansalay and Bulalacao while cluster 5 consists of the municipalities of Puerto Galera, Baco, and San Teodoro.
Garafil said waters in clusters 1, 2, and 3 comprising the towns of Naujan, Pola, Pinamalayan, Gloria, and Bansud are still not recommended for fishing activities due to the risk of contamination.
Garafil said the monitoring of all sites will be continued according to the scheduled sampling plan of BFAR, as the Department of Environment and Natural Resources continues to conduct air and water sampling, including hazardous waste monitoring and management in all affected localities.
She said all areas located in the north side of “ground zero” in Naujan town have recorded lower oil and grease as compared to the southern side.
She said the shoreline affected by the oil spill being monitored by the DENR have generally improved, and all monitored areas in the municipality of Pola are all within the water quality guidelines for oil and grease based on the last sampling result available.
WORK FOR CASH
The social welfare department has started its payout for the cash-for-work (CFW) program for the oil-spill affected residents in Pola, Mansalay, and Bulalacao, while those for Gloria, Roxas, Bongabong, Bansud, Pinamalayan, Naujan, Baco, San Teodoro, Socorro, Victoria, and Calapan City are scheduled from May 15 to 19.
The cash payout will benefit more than 25,000 individuals from the province.
The participants of the CFW program were deployed to conduct various activities such as collecting locally available materials for making improvised oil spill booms and absorbents, establishing barangay or backyard gardens, mangrove rehabilitation, as well as conducting community clean-up drives.
In exchange for the work rendered, the program participants are provided by the DSWD with cash to meet their basic necessities such as food, and water, among others.
Each program participant will receive an amount equivalent to their daily regional minimum wage.
Based on May 10 report of the DSWD Disaster Response Management Bureau (DRMB), the DSWD has provided more than P313 million to the residents of the MIMAROPA Region, consisting of family food packs, other non-food items, Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS), Emergency Cash Assistance, and Cash-for-Work program. — With Raymond Africa
