By Alec Go
The Department of National Defense (DND) said the United States (US) government expressed commitment to help in the clean up efforts for the oil spill in Oriental Mindoro, according to Malacañang on Tuesday, March 21.
DND Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. said this was after a talk with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin who committed to deploy naval units as their Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response (HADR) team is on its way.
“I had a phone call last night with Sec. Austin at 7:45 p.m. They are committed to help in coordination with Japan and other countries,” Galvez said.
“In fact, as I’ve recommended, some of the exercise scenarios of the forthcoming ‘Balikatan’ Exercises will be ‘real life’ and actual HADR operations relative to the oil spill,” he added.
Galvez said the government will continue to ask for support and expertise from other countries for containment measures.
On Monday, the Japanese vessel Shin Nichi Maru arrived at the Calapan Port to assist in the ongoing cleanup.
Galvez noted that 32,661 families in Mimaropa and Western Visayas have been affected as of March 20 who were given P28.3 million worth of assistance from the government and partner organizations.
“We will sustain these assistance to them,” he said, adding that the Oriental Minodor government will continue to provide meals, medicines, and vitamins to coast guard personnel assigned to the spill.
The sunken motor tanker (MT) Princes Empress carrying 800,000 of industrial fuel oil was finally located on Tuesday, according to Oriental Mindoro Governor Humerlito Dolor, nearly a month after it sank off the coast of Naujan, Oriental Mindoro on Feb. 28.
The spill already spread to areas in Oriental Mindoro towns, several areas in Antique, up to the Verde Island Passage. – gb
