House Speaker Martin Romualdez (Speaker’s office)

Speaker Martin Romualdez has mobilized his colleagues in the House of Representatives to bring immediate aid to the thousands of fisherfolk affected by the oil spill in Manila Bay.

“Hindi na natin hihintayin na humingi sila ng tulong sa atin. Tayo na ang lalapit sa kanila para alamin kung ano ang tulong na kailangan nila sa atin at sa gobyerno,” Romualdez said in a statement.

(We will not wait for them to ask us for help. We should approach them to find out what help they need from us and the government.)

"The livelihood of our fisherfolk is at stake. We must act quickly to mitigate the damage and provide the necessary support," he added.

He urged representatives in the provinces of Bataan, Pampanga, Bulacan, and Cavite to coordinate with the concerned people to determine the assistance they need and the total number of affected fishermen.

"We will tap all available resources, including the TUPAD and AICS programs, to provide immediate relief and support to our fisherfolk," the Speaker said.

TUPAD or the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers is an assistance program of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE). AICS or Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation, on the other hand, is under the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

Both AICS and TUPAD are programs that provide a safety net for indigent Filipinos during economic uncertainties, with the latter providing temporary employment.

Romualdez is also asking lawmakers in the affected areas to assess the damage caused by and extent of the oil spill with the help of local government units, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), and other concerned agencies.

Industrial fuel and diesel are reportedly leaking from two vessels that sank off the coast of Bataan and in the Manila Bay area last week.

One of the ships, namely the marine tanker (MT) Terra Nova, was carrying 1.4 million liters of industrial oil.

Authorities are currently trying to contain the oil spill.

Fisherfolk affected include 11,000 in Bulacan, with an estimated combined monthly income of P83 million; 8,000 in Bataan earning P63 million a month, and thousands more in Pampanga and Cavite.

The University of the Philippines’ Marine Science Institute (UP-MSI) has forecasted that the oil spill would travel northwards to Bulacan and affect coastal areas in Cavite.

The Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) has estimated an area of 93.74 square kilometers covered by oil in Manila Bay.