Around 80 percent of the oil that spilled from a cargo that sunk off the coast of Jasaan, Misamis Oriental during the Holy Week was already cleared, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) announced Friday, April 9.
Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu said that the DENR has taken measures to mitigate the impact of an oil spill incident which resulted from the sinking of cargo vessel MV Racal IV on Black Saturday, April 3, in the coastal town of Jasaan.
"In incidents such as these, our goal is to always protect the ecosystem, the biodiversity it hosts, and the people in the area," he said.
Cimatu said the DENR-Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) in Region 10 has coordinated with the local government of Jasaan and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) to prevent the further contamination of the coastal communities.
Based on the assessment, the EMB-Region 10 reported that 80 percent of the spilled oil was already removed in the affected areas.
EMB-Region 10 Regional Director Reynaldo Digamo said three tons of bunker oil has contaminated one square kilometer portion of the bay, affecting five barangays namely Lower Jasaan, Upper Jasaan, Luz Banzon, Kimaya, and Solana.
The EMB-Region 10 also observed a "faint odor" from the spill, particularly along the coast of Barangay Luz Banzon which was severely affected by the incident.
It said that accumulated oil debris was also seen in mangrove trees and docked boats, thus, affecting the livelihood of the fisherfolk in the villages.
Digamo said the PCG-Region 10 has commissioned Far East Fuel Corp., a registered transport, storage, and disposal facility, to remove and transport the collected oil and oil-contaminated materials.
"We have already coordinated with the owner of the vessel and the local government unit, the PCG, and the fisherfolk residents near the area to prevent further contamination," Digamo said.
Thr DENR said that MV Racal IV owners Sherwin Doctora and Dr. Lord Sanny Salvaña have committed to pay for the damages during a meeting with Jasaan Mayor Redentor Jardin, municipal and provincial officials, and EMB-Region 10.
Initial investigation by officials said that the cargo vessel sunk when a breach in its hull caused seawater to seep in. The unused cargo vessel was docked at a shipyard in Jasaan for five years already.
Digamo said an in-depth investigation is now underway to determine any liability of the cargo owners.