CONTAINMENT. Members of the PCG Auxiliary make improvised oil spill booms on July 29, 2024. Senator Win Gatchalian on Tuesday (July 30) said regulations covering maritime transport of petroleum products should be improved to prevent oil spills. (Photo courtesy of PCG)
MANILA – Regulations covering maritime transport of petroleum products should be improved to prevent oil spills given the extent of environmental damage that such incidents cause, Senator Win Gatchalian said on Tuesday.
Gatchalian made the statement following the sinking of MT Terra Nova, an oil tanker carrying 1.4 million liters of industrial fuel, off the coast of Bataan on July 25 amid heavy rains brought by the seasonal monsoon and Typhoon Carina. The tanker, with 17 crew members, was heading toward Iloilo when it sank.
“We need to leverage our manpower, mobilize all available resources, and collaborate closely with local government units,” Gatchalian said in a news release.
He said responding to natural disasters like these require a whole-of-government approach, which includes support from the Philippine Navy and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
The government needs to ensure that the ship’s condition and onboard practices meet international safety standards, Gatchalian said.
In the country, the Marine Environmental Protection Command (MEPCOM), a unit of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), is the point of contact for oil spill response operations and comprises the National Operations Center for Oil Pollution (NOCOP).
The PCG on Friday said it started collecting oil to counter the spread of the spill.
On Monday, a group of fishermen said the oil spill from the sunken oil tanker has reached the shorelines of Tanza, Naic, Maragondon and Ternate in Cavite.
“It’s good to know that the Philippine Coast Guard promptly implemented precautionary measures, such as deploying oil spill booms in the area,” Gatchalian said.
Just last year, MT Princess Empress sank off the coast of Naujan, Oriental Mindoro, causing an oil spill in the waters in Antique, Batangas, Oriental Mindoro, and even Palawan.
“Hindi na dapat paulit ulit ang oil spill na nangyayari sa bansa dahil matinding pinsala ang dulot nito hindi lang sa kalikasan kundi sa kabuhayan ng marami sa ating kababayan (The oil spill that is happening in the country should not happen again because it causes damage not only to nature but also to the livelihood of many of our countrymen),” Gatchalian said. (PR)
