Oil spill damages Rizal rice fields

MANILA, Philippines - An oil spill from a cement plant in Teresa, Rizal, which has affected a river system, is also feared to have damaged millions of pesos of agricultural products in the province.

The oil spill affected 20 hectares of rice fields in Barangay San Guillermo and five hectares in Barangay Bombongan in Morong town, according to the regional Office of Civil Defense.

Jerome Mateo of the Morong municipal disaster risk reduction and management office said agricultural lands in Barangays San Jose and San Juan were also affected.

 At least 2,000 liters of bunker oil that spilled from Solid Cement Corp.(Cemex) fuel storage tanks near midnight on Tuesday have reached the Antipolo-Teresa-Morong river system.

Fishermen in the affected towns  raised concern that the oil spill would also affect their catch.

Two teams from the Morong-Operation Center were deployed to check the areas affected by the oil spill.

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) issued an inspection apprehension report against Cemex.

The PCG also ordered oil containment booms installed in Barangays May-iba and Poblacion and along the Morong River.

Officials of the Laguna Lake Development Authority, Rizal provincial disaster risk reduction and management office and the PCG are investigating the incident. – With Evelyn Macairan