By Janine Dumaguin
The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) on Wednesday, March 15, said individuals who have fallen ill due to the oil spill of the sunken motor tanker Princess Empress have already received medical attention.
OCD Joint Information Center head Diego Agustin Mariano said in the Laging Handa public briefing that over 120 residents reported symptoms of dizziness and vomiting.
“Sila nama’y binibigyan naman ng medical na atensiyon ng ating regional offices, ng DOH [Department of Health], or mga head offices ng mga LGUs[local government units],” he said.
Mariano said more than 20,000 affected families have received assistance from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and Department of Environmental and Natural Resources (DENR).
“Sa ngayon ang current na kailangan nila is dagdag na livelihood which is tinutugunan na ng ating DSWD at DENR at sila ay nagpapatupad na ng cash-for-work program,” Mariano added.
The agency also said that they provided equipment supplies for cleaning the oil spill, while the distribution of food packs is ongoing.
Almost the entirety of the Oriental Mindoro and Caluya, Antique have declared a state of calamite.
Meanwhile, sightings of the oil slick were reported in Northern Palawan. -ag
