Owners of the sunken MV Racal IV will take full responsibility for the oil spill in Misamis Oriental, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) assured on Monday, April 26.
DENR Secretary Roy A. Cimatu said the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) in Region 10 (Northern Mindanao) has held a meeting with the shipowners to demand them to shoulder the full cost of damages brought about by the incident that took place last April 3.
"The incident should serve as a lesson for business owners to take full responsibility for the damages brought about by their operations near the country’s rich ecosystems," Cimatu said, citing the report EMB-Region 10 Director Reynaldo Digamo submitted to the DENR Central Office.
Digamo oversaw the meeting with vessel owners Sherwin Doctora and Lord Sanny Salvaña on April 13. It was also attended by representatives of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the local government of Jasaan.
"It was agreed upon in the meeting that the owners should compensate all the expenses, including the cleanup activities, as well as the transportation of the contaminated debris to the accredited treatment, storage, and disposal facility," Digamo said in his report.
He emphasized that the owners should also be accountable for the environmental damage the incident has caused as well as the lost opportunity suffered by the fishermen and other stakeholders.
The EMB-Region 10 has also conducted ambient water sampling in the five affected barangays namely, Lower Jasaan, Upper Jasaan, Luz Banzon, Kimaya, and Solana, to assess the water quality.
The test results showed that the concentrations of ammonia, color, dissolved oxygen, nitrates, oil and grease, pH, phosphates, and total suspended solids and temperature were all within the Water Quality Guidelines for Class SC Water pursuant to DENR Administrative Order 2016-08.
Class SC water body includes Fishery Water Class III, which is intended for the propagation and growth of fish and other aquatic resources, as well as for commercial and sustenance fishing.
"We commend the people behind this successful dialogue with our stakeholders to ensure that the oil spill will be controlled and thoroughly cleaned to protect our vast oceans and seas," Cimatu said.
As of its April 6 report, the PCG said it has recovered approximately 80 percent of the oil spillage including oil-contaminated debris and materials along the shorelines of the affected areas,.
They deemed the situation as "under control."