The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) provided food assistance to families from Oriental Mindoro, Palawan, Batangas, and Antique affected by the oil spill from the sunken MT Princess Empress.

In a statement on Friday, March 31, PRC said that about 400 individuals from the municipalities of Pola and Calapan, Oriental Mindoro received food items from the organization.

PRC chapters from Batangas, Palawan, and Antique also tapped their Red Cross 143 volunteers to monitor their respective areas and be vigilant for possible effects of the oil spill on people's health.

The organization also plans to preposition its rescue boats and 6x6 trucks in Batangas and Calatagan to help the local government units collect oil slicks and deploy protective barriers on the ocean.

"The PRC immediately assisted the affected communities as many of them fell ill and lost their main means of livelihoods. Nakipagtulungan agad tayo sa mga LGU, Philippine Coast Guard, PDRRMO, at CDRRMO para malaman at matugunan ang pangangailangan ng ating mga kababayan," said PRC Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Richard Gordon.