By Gabriela Baron
A local barbershop in Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro is collecting cut hair to help oil spill clean up in the province.
“Hair, surprisingly, turns to be a potent weapon against oil spills because of its remarkable ability to absorb five times its weight in oil,” Bruskos Barber Shop said in a Facebook post.
“[Your] hair shall be used in cleaning the oil spill,” it added.
In 2006, beauty salons and barbershops from different parts of the country collected cut hair and sent them to Guimaras responders after an oil tanker spilled over two million liters of bunker fuel in the Island.
Approximately 20,000 hectares of coral reef, 9,900 hectares of mangroves, and 6,000 hectares of seagrass were said to be affected by the oil spill, according to marine experts.
“The spill from an oil tanker near Naujan, Oriental Mindoro is spreading to more areas and had already reached the municipal shores of Pola, Pinamalayan, Gloria, and Bongabong,” the barbershop noted.
It also said that 10% of its gross sales will be donated directly to the affected families.
The initiative will run until April 4.
The oil spill also reportedly reached several shorelines of municipalities in Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, and Palawan.
The Philippine Coast Guard also confirmed the presence of an oil spill in Antique.
This, after the MT Princess Empress ship, carrying 800,000 liters of industrial oil, submerged in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro on Tuesday, February 28. -cf
READ MORE: PCG: Oil spill in Oriental Mindoro waters contain industrial fuel oil