As the oil containment efforts of authorities and communities continue, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and local communities have created oil spill booms made from organic materials, protecting marine ecosystems from the oil leaking from the sunken motor tanker (MT) Princess Empress. Booms are temporary floating barriers that are utilized to contain marine spills, protect sensitive wetlands, and aid in the recovery process, the DENR said. In a statement on Tuesday, March 14, the DENR said the oil spill booms they have created restrict the oil from afflicting surrounding marine protected areas (MPAs) in the MIMAROPA (Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan) and Western Visayas regions. The agency  explained that the use of improvised spill booms is a “feasible precautionary measure to prevent damage to marine environments.” “These booms are made from indigenous materials which are readily accessible to the immediate communities,” it added. The DENR stated that the University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute's (UPMSI) trajectory map will be used as a guide to install the booms. “The UPMSI projected that the oil spill could reach northern Palawan mainland and threaten over 36,000 hectares of marine habitats,” the agency said. According to the DENR-Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) MIMAROPA, it has installed temporary spill booms made of cogon and sawali in the Casiligan and Calimawawa rivers of Oriental Mindoro province to prevent oil from reaching mangrove forests, coral reefs, and other marine life. “Coconut shingles, which have effective adsorption capacities, are also vital materials in fabricating spill booms. These are used with nets in Barangay Misong, Pola, and with rice straws in  Barangay Aplaya in Poblacion and Barangay Anilao in Bongabong,” the agency noted. The DENR said Imalaguan Island MPA in Cuyo, Palawan is now protected by 100-meter booms to preserve its pelagic fish, coral reef, and mangrove forest sanctuaries. Volunteers have also begun setting up spill booms at Roxas, Palawan, which has 13 MPAs spread throughout its 11 barangays. Meanwhile, the DENR-EMB Western Visayas carried out cleanup efforts at the Sitio Sabang shorelines in Barangay Tinogboc while collaborating with the local governments of Caluya, Antique, and Philippine Coast Guard. “This included the fabrication and completion of a 1,363-meter improvised spill boom using nets and coconut shingles to help contain the oil spillage, and prevent it from reaching the shore.” On Feb. 28, the PCG reported an oil spill from MT Princess Empress which capsized the coast of Naujan, Oriental Mindoro earlier that day and was reportedly carrying 800,000 liters of industrial fuel oil as cargo.