DENR to work with shipowners to prevent another oil spill
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Environment and Natural Resources said it will work with local shipowners to prevent a repeat of the Oriental Mindoro oil spill, which is posing threats to the marine environment and disrupting the livelihood of fishers.
In a release, the DENR said its chief Antonia Loyzaga recently met with shipping operators and discussed ways to address the gaps “organizationally, functionally, legally, and policy- and practice-wise.”
The classification of ships and the number of permits issued for specific purposes were among the gaps identified during the discussion.
According to Loyzaga, the DENR and the shipowners will create a technical working group tasked to change policies with emphasis on prevention.
“We need to prevent the risk and that needs to be translated in the policies, in the processes, and in the technical capacities of the people that are actually implementing these laws,” Loyzaga said.
MT Princess Empress, which was loaded with 800,000 liters of oil, is still leaking more than two months after it sank off Oriental Mindoro. RDC Reield Marine Services owns the oil tanker.
The oil spill is affecting thousands of fisherfolk and tourism workers, and is threatening the Verde Island Passage, which is called the “Amazon of the Seas” because of its rich marine life.
The World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF)-Philippines earlier called on the government to assess the implementation of the Oil Spill Contingency Plan—which provides guidance on the national response to oil spill—and consider imposing more stringent regulations and accountability on vessels loaded with hazardous materials.
The group also called for better management of shipping routes and marine protected areas so they do not overlap.
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