THE Philippine Coast Guard yesterday said the ill-fated MT Princess Empress incurred major damage based on the findings of the Japanese team that conducted remotely operated vehicle (ROV) operations on the sunken vessel.
“The tanker suffered extensive structural damage after sinking,” PCG spokesman Rear Adm. Armand Balilo said in a statement.
He said all the compartment tanks of the sunken vessel were found to be leaking.
The PCG earlier expressed belief the cargo had already leaked, though not at a significant level.
The vessel was transporting some 900,000 liters of industrial fuel oil and 10,000 liters of operational oil when it sank last February 28 off Oriental Mindoro after its engine malfunctioned.
Last Tuesday, the ROV Hakuyo, deployed by Japanese dynamic positioning vessel (DPV) Shin Nihci Maru ship that was hired by the owner MT Princess, located the sunken vessel about 7.7 nautical miles southwest of Balingawan Point in Naujan town.
“Oil leaks had been observed from all eight compartments (tanks), and some through the ballast tank. Oil stains were found on some parts of the vessel,” said Balilo. “The oil is coming from ballast tank vents and access hatches, cargo tank pressure valves, (and) cargo pipework on deck.”
He said the No. 4 pressure valve had the “highest flow rate.”
Balilo said there are no findings of oil leaks coming from the service tanks of the vessel.
“(The) volume of remaining oil inside the compartments cannot be estimated at this point.
The oil spillage rate from the source is likewise yet to be determined,” said Balilo.
He said the insurance representative has started the search for a service provider “that will conduct oil patching, bagging, and removal” of the remaining oil inside the vessel.
“(The) required tasks include bagging and patching leaks, hot tapping and pumping.
Equipment should be designed to operate at depths of 395 meters and beyond,” said Balilo.
Balilo also said the insurance representative did not provide a period when the next operational phase will commence.
He said Oriental Mindoro Gov. Humerlito Dolor wants the Japanese vessel to remain until new equipment arrives in the province.
“Consultants would try to determine if the DPV would be compatible with the new equipment that is expected to arrive,” said Balilo.
Balilo said representatives from the US Coast Guard, which is providing help in addressing the oil spill problem, relayed that “they have an ROV equipment available which can be deployed by air.”
SHIP HAS CRACKS
Pola Mayor Jennifer Cruz said the sunken vessel, located last Tuesday by a remotely operated vehicle deployed by a Japanese ship, had cracks.
She said she spoke with the owner of the vessel and people who found the sunken ship.
The ROV took video and pictures of the ship.
“Images show that there is a crack on the ship and oil is leaking from it. It cannot be saved anymore, more or less,” said Cruz.
Cruz said the ship owner will be hiring another firm to contain the oil leak.
“Their (ROV operator) contract is only to see the boat. So we have another problem. We will have to wait to see how much more (oil) is in the ship’s tank,” she said.
“As to patching the hole, they said we cannot answer that because the contract of the ROV is just to see the vessel underwater… That’s how it was explained to me yesterday. I asked them why it wasn’t included in the contract, they said that was the only thing asked of them,” said Cruz.
Cruz said Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla went to Pola last Tuesday and “promised to help the municipality of Pola, especially in the filing of charges against the owner (of MT Princess Empress).”
Cruz said she is due to meet with Pola fishermen to discuss the case they will be pursuing.
TOURISM TOLL
Puerto Galera Mayor Rocky Ilagan yesterday said a large number of tourists had cancelled reservations due to fears that the oil slick will reach the town, one of the famous tourist destinations in Oriental Mindoro.
During the Laging Handa public briefing, Ilagan lashed out at the University of the Philippine-Marine Science Institute (UP-MSI) for creating fears, adding the oil slick has yet to reach their area.
Last week, UP-MSI associate professor Dr. Irene Rodriguez said the oil slick may reach Puerto Galera and Calapan City in Oriental Mindoro and other areas in Batangas.
The MT Princess Empress, loaded with 900,000 liters of industrial fuel, sank near Naujan, Oriental Mindoro last February 28 after encountering engine trouble on its way to Iloilo.
As of yesterday, Ilagan said the oil slick has yet to reach Puerto Galera, adding recent testing showed the town’s waters has not been contaminated so far.
Ilagan said the town, in coordination with other sectors, has put in place contingency measures.
“Our oil spill booms are prepared,” he said. “The problem with the projection of MSI is they did not consider what the government is doing. They’re just showing graphics, scaring the people. Even the tourists, many of them made cancellations (of booking) because of the projections they (MSI) made,” Ilagan said without giving figures.
“They did not consider the mitigation efforts done in the area by the government and by the international community,” he added.
Ilagan said UP-MSI should have been more responsible, noting its projections have caused damage to tourism — a major source of livelihood for the people of Puerto Galera.
“As I’ve said, there are many cancellations made because of what MSI did. They should have been responsible and thought of the people’s livelihood,” said Ilagan.
“There’s actually no oil spill in our area. But their projection, they scared the tourists… Our appeal to the experts at MSI is for them to be responsible in releasing information (because) people’s livelihood is being affected,” he said.
Ilagan urged tourists to come to Puerto Galera and enjoy the town’s beach.
He also invited members of the UP-MSI to visit the town, adding he is willing to shoulder the expenses of UP-MSI experts to enable them to see what was wrong with their projections.
“What they (UP-MSI experts) just did is they scared the people, even the tourists who cancelled their booking after seeing the (oil spill) trajectory (of UP-MSI),” said Ilagan.
MORE FALL ILL
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said the oil spill in Oriental Mindoro has caused at least 196 more persons in the province to fall ill.
In a situational report, NDRRMC said the victims, who suffered difficulty in breathing, headache, cough, cold, fever and others, are all from the worst-affected town of Pola.
Many of the victims have recovered but some are still under monitoring, the NDRRMC said.
The agency also reported that 34,555 families or 163,508 individuals have been affected by the oil spill.
Oriental Mindoro has the highest number of affected persons with 27,360 families or 136,363 individuals from 143 barangays in 10 municipalities.
The rest of the affected population are 12 barangays in six municipalities in Palawan and Antique, NDRRMC said.
It said P87.87 million worth of assistance had been provided to those who were affected.
LEAD AGENCY
President Marcos Jr. yesterday said the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) will continue to lead ongoing efforts to address the oil spill in Oriental Mindoro and surrounding areas, dismissing any need to reorganize or form a new task force or group to handle the operations.
The President, in an interview after attending the 126th Founding Anniversary of the Philippine Army in Fort Bonifacio, said the different government agencies involved in the operations are also aware of their respective tasks and are already doing them.
“The head of the task force for the oil spill is the Coast Guard. Admiral (Artemio) Abu heads it. So, there’s no need. You see, there’s no need to organize something for everything. The idea is to have the assets in place so that when something happens, we have an immediate response. We do not have to organize a special group, a special committee, a special task force. They’re ready already as it is,” Marcos said in mixed Filipino and English.
He said that apart from overseeing and leading the operations, the PCG is also coordinating foreign aid being sent to the country, such as teams from Japan and the United States and special equipment such as remotely-operated vehicles (ROV) to help in the clean-up drive and containment of the oil spill.
He said the Department on Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) assesses the damage and determines areas that immediately needs to be cleaned up or monitored for now, while the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is handling the provision of relief assistance to affected communities such as the food packs, livelihoods assistance and the national government’s cash-for-work program.
The President said the local governments of affected areas, led by Oriental Mindoro Governor Dolor, are also doing their part.
Data from the DSWD-Disaster Response Operations Monitoring and Information (DSWD-DROMIC) as of March 22 showed 34,555 families or 163,508persons from 151 barangays in Region IV-B (Mimaropa) and VI (Western Visayas) have been affected by the oil spill. — With Jocelyn Montemayor
