Aid supplies from South Korea arrived in Manila on Wednesday for the ongoing efforts to clean up the tanker oil spill that started from the waters off Mindoro Oriental. According to the Korean Embassy in the Philippines, about 20 tons of sorbent pads and snares, 1,000 meters of solid flotation curtain boom and 2,000 sets of personal protective equipment (PPE) were unloaded from a Korean ship in the Manila Port Area. The supplies, which were received by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), will then be sent to affected provinces across the country.
Four Korean experts from the Korea Coast Guard (KCG) as well as consul members of the embassy have also joined hands in providing technical support for operating response equipment. They are coordinating with their counterparts from the Philippines and the US. The coordinated efforts began on March 28 while the aid supplies were still en route to the Philippines. Korea is the third country to help the Philippines in its oil spill clean up effort caused by the sunken MV Princess Empress off Oriental Mindoro. "The Republic of Korea would continue to stand together with the Philippines based on decades-long partnership with the Philippines in various areas of cooperation. The two countries will observe the 75th anniversary of their diplomatic ties in 2024," the embassy said.