The Office of the Vice President (OVP) has distributed relief goods to residents of Verde Island, who were affected by the Oriental Mindoro oil spill.

In a statement, the OVP-Disaster Operations Center (OVP-DOC), with the help of the Batangas Provincial Government, Batangas Vice Governor’s Office, and the Southern Police District, distributed 1,310 Relief for Individual in Crisis and Emergencies (RICE) Food Boxes to 600 families identified by the provincial government in the marine-rich diversity island.

Recipients of the RICE food boxes were from Barangays Liponpon, San Agapito, San Agustin Kanluran, San Agustin Silangan, San Andres, and San Antonio.

This was not the first time the OVP extended aid to residents affected by the oil spill. Vice President Sara Duterte led the relief operations in Caluya, Antique, on March 13.

A total of 1,200 RICE food boxes were distributed in identified payout sites. The affected residents were from Barangays Semirara, Tinogboc, Alegria, Sibolo, and Sitio Liwagao.

The latest report shows that the oil spill affected 7,617 families or 25,733 individuals. Of the said figure, 450 are seaweed planters, and 3,649 are fisherfolk. This prompted the municipality to declare a state of calamity.

The spill started when the oil tanker MT Princess Empress, carrying approximately 800,000 liters of industrial fuel, partially sank near Naujan in Oriental Mindoro on February 28. It fully submerged on March 1.

A report from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) showed that the oil spill had spread to other areas. Most of those impacted were found in Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan.