The unmitigated disaster that was the oil spill caused by the sinking of MT Princess Empress has exposed how ill-equipped the country is in responding to such disasters, said AGRI Party-list Rep. Wilbert T. Lee. As such, Lee is batting for the allocation of more funds for the acquisition of booms and other equipment for oil spill containment. "Mas mabilis tayong makakapag-responde sa ganitong sakuna kung mayroon tayong sapat na kagamitan (Having these equipment will allow us to respond faster to these accidents)," the neophyte congressman said in a statement Sunday, March 19. "Dahil sa kakulangan natin, patuloy na nasisira ang mahalagang likas-yaman, at nawawalan ng kabuhayan ang mga kababayan nating nakaasa rito, lalo na ang mga mangingisda (The destruction of our natural resources, as well as the loss of livelihood of our people, especially the fishermen, continue because of the lack of these equipment)," he said. The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has admitted it does not have enough equipment to handle the oil spill caused by MT Princess Empress, which sank in the waters off Oriental Mindoro on Feb.28 while carrying 800,000 liters of industrial fuel oil. The sunken vessel has been releasing 35,000 to 50,000 liters of oil per day, according to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) The Japanese government, which has sent an eight-man team to help the Philippine government's task force, has also committed to providing equipment, such as oil blotters, oil snares, and oil-proof working gloves, to aid the clean-up of affected coastal barangays. The United States (US) and South Korea also committed to help the country. Lee said that the Philippines cannot always rely on the help of others, and should work toward having the necessary equipment to deal with such disasters. The House of Representatives, which possesses the power of the purse, will enter budgeting season for the 2024 national budget in a few month's time.