The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has completed the four-day National Marine Pollution Exercise (MARPOLEX) on Thursday, Oct. 27, which it said, aims to advance the country’s preparedness and capacity in combatting large-scale oil spillage at sea.
PCG Commandant, CG Admiral Artemio M Abu said this is the first time the Philippines hosted a national training on marine pollution drill held at the vicinity water of Manila Bay on October 24 to 27.
Participating Coast Guard assets include the BRP Gabriela Silang (platform vessel), BRP Suluan (marine pollution response vessel), BRP Malabrigo (fire-fighting/dispersant vessel), and BRP Boracay (search and rescue vessel).
PCG’s Coast Guard helicopter (CGH)-1452 also displayed its capabilities as a search, rescue, and reconnaissance aircraft.
Abu said the national MARPOLEX 2022 is a replication of the biennial exercise between the PCG, Japan Coast Guard, and the Republic of Indonesia-Directorate General of Sea Transportation in the performance of its obligations as a member state in the International Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response, and Cooperation.
Abu also noted that the initiative of the exercises is to strengthen the cooperation and capability in operations; and encourages the involvement of maritime stakeholders in the common effort to combat, control, and recover oil spillage during tier III level response.
Among tier III levels of oil spills recorded by the PCG involved:
- MT Vector carrying 8,800 barrels of petroleum products collided with MV Doña Paz in Marinduque on December 20, 1987;
- MT Solar I, which sank on August 11, 2006, causing more than two million liters of bunker fuel oil to spill into the gulf of Guimaras;
- NAPOCOR Power Barge No. 103 was damaged due to the strong winds and currents and drifted at a rocky shoreline of Barangay Botongon as Super Typhoon Yolanda hit the Municipality of Estancia, Iloilo on November 9, 2013; and;
- The oil spill occurred on August 8, 2013, involving a white product suspected to be an Automotive Diesel Oil (ADO) which covered approximately four hectares from Rosario seen up to the shorelines of Noveleta, Naic, Tanza, and Ternate, all in Cavite.
Meanwhile, also contributed to the exercises of national MARPOLEX are PCG Auxiliary, Philippine National Police (PNP) Maritime Group, Harbor Star Shipping Services Incorporated, RMS Petroleum Technology, Waste Management Corporation, and Malayan Towage and Salvage Corporation.
During the drill, the National Oil Spill Contingency Plan’s (NOSCOP) incident command system simulated a scenario resulting in firefighting, abandoning ship, search and rescue to casualty vessel, securing the disaster and adjacent areas to prevent inimical elements from intrusion, and conducting oil spill response and recovery operations following the integrated maneuver plan.
The exercise reinforces the PCG’s mandate of protecting the marine environment by testing, evaluating, and improving the NOSCOP's effectiveness.
It also assesses the oil spill response capability during major oil spills occurring within the Philippine maritime jurisdiction, according to the PCG.