The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) deployed a response team to contain the oil spill that was detected in two municipalities in Batangas on Tuesday morning, May 23.

(PCG)

The oil spill was spotted in Brgy. 4 in Calatagan and in Brgy. Klamias in Mabini, said Capt. Vic Acosta, commander of PCG Station Batangas.

“Separate incident po iyon at 8:30 nang naireport sa amin (It was two separate incidents and it was reported to us around 8:30 a.m.,” Acosta told the Manila Bulletin.

He said the focus of the clean-up operation is in Mabini as the spillage in Calatagan already evaporated.

“Nagpadala po tayo agad ng oil spill response team and oil spill response equipment at agad din naman natin na-contain (We immediately deployed an oil spill response team and oil spill response equipment so we immediately contained it),” Acosta stated.

As of this writing, Acosta could not confirm where the oil spill originated or if it came from motor tanker (MT) Princess Empress which sank in Oriental Mindoro last Feb. 28. 

The tanker was carrying 800,000 liters of industrial fuel oil when it sank. The sinking of MT Princess Empress resulted to a massive oil spill that reached Batangas, Antique, and Palawan.

“Inaalam pa po namin kung saan ang pinagmulan (We are still determining where it came from),” Acosta said.

He said there was no other maritime accident that occurred in the area while port operations were halted.

“Sa ngayon, clean-up operation na ang nangyayari (Right now, we are conducting clean-up operation),” the PCG Batangas commander noted.