By Gabriela Baron
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) started on Monday, May 29, siphoning off the remaining oil from the sunken motor tanker (MT) Princess Empress in the waters of Naujan, Oriental Mindoro.
PCG’s Dynamic Support Vessel (DSV) Fire Opal arrived Monday morning at the Calapan Anchorage Area where the boarding formalities were conducted.
The DSV immediately went to the operational area to begin siphoning the remaining oil from the capsized MT on Feb. 28.
According to Incident Management Team-Oriental Mindoro Commander CG Commodore Geronimo Tuvilla, the operation will take 20 to 30 days, depending on weather conditions and “subsea progress.”
“Once the oil removal is completed, we hope that the process will pave the way for the rehabilitation of affected areas and finally transition to the normalcy of lives of affected Mindoreños,” Tuvilla said.
The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources on Monday still recommended keeping fishing bans in Pola, Pinamalayan, and Naujan, citing risk of contamination from traces of oil.
READ MORE: BFAR recommends keeping fishing bans in 3 oil spill-hit towns in Oriental Mindoro
-ag
