As the government moves to contain the remaining oil spill in Mindoro, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. announced on Saturday, April 15, the government’s initiatives to move beyond the oil spill cleanup operation and find livelihoods for its victims. (Photo from the Presidential Communications Office via Facebook)
During a media briefing, the Chief Executive noted how the cleanup operation is now concerned with the oil that reached the beaches and shoreline, which has now become a “cash-for-work for awhile.” After the oil spill becomes under control—with the operations closing all possible sources of oil leak—Marcos said the government would then tackle the livelihood problems of those affected barangays. “Ngayon, papunta na naman ‘to sa --- babalik na naman tayo sa livelihood. Cleanup sa mga beach, sa mga shoreline. Pero ang critical ngayon ay walang hanapbuhay pa ang tao, ‘yun ang inuuna namin, na magkaroon ng livelihood (Now, this goes to — we are going back to livelihood. Beach cleanup in the shoreline. But the most critical now is the people don’t have jobs, that’s what we’re prioritizing, for them to have livelihood),” he added. The damage cost and losses due to the oil spill in Oriental Mindoro last February are about to breach the P1-billion mark, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) earlier stated. The oil slick from M/T Princess Empress has so far damaged P445.33-million worth of fishing gear and produce, resulting into a P441.25-million profit loss for some 26,000 fisherfolk. It has affected the livelihood of nearby communities, with the spill reaching as far as Palawan, and impacted 1.4 million hectares of the Verde Island Passage Marine Corridor (VIPMC). Noting that there were “many affected barangays,” the President recognized how the spill impacted the livelihood of those living in the affected areas. “We are trying to find alternative livelihood for them until they can go back to their old fishing grounds,” he promised. Marcos himself conducted an aerial inspection of the Oriental Mindoro coastlines on Saturday. Following the aerial inspection, the President presided over the situation briefing with mayors in Pola town to assess the damage of the oil spill and coordinate government response. He then instructed the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to talk to local officials in the identified four alternative fishing grounds for those affected by the oil spill. Marcos personally led the distribution of various government assistance such as fishing boats, fish smoking machines and relief packs to the residents of Pola. MT Princess Empress, a vessel that was traveling from Bataan province to Iloilo provinces and was carrying 800,000 liters of industrial fuel oil, sank off the waters of Oriental Mindoro on Feb. 28 after experiencing an engine problem.