The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) on Thursday, March 9 said it has provided equipment to expedite cleanup of the oil spill from the sunken MT Princess Empress in Oriental Mindoro.
Among the equipment provided are personal protective equipment, absorbent pads, dayami and abaca ropes, and other absorbent materials.
In a Laging Handa public briefing, OCD Joint Information Center Head Diego Agustin Mariano said an aerial inspection conducted showed reduced presence of spill in affected areas, noting that the oil slicks could have been dissipated due to dispersants used to clean up the areas.
“Ang tinitignan natin diyan ay maaari itong nag-dissipate dahil sa dispersant na ating nilagay doon o maaring ito’y naanod o natangay south-westward dulot ng ating current at hangin,” he said.
Meanwhile, local government units that are yet to be affected by the oil spill have placed oil booms at around 2 kilometers from the shoreline as part of their mitigation efforts. – LM/CF
