Experts and coast guards from other countries will meet with officials of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Monday (March 13) to discuss how to assist the country in addressing the oil spill in Oriental Mindoro, the PCG chief said Saturday.
“Marami pa ang nagpiprisintang bansa sa atin. Sa Lunes may iba-ibang bansa po ang gustong makita ang pamunuan ng Philippine Coast Guard to be able to extend assistance, to figure out how they will be of help to the Coast Guard and to the Philippine government in addressing this oil spill incident,” PCG Commandant Admiral Artemio Abu said in a media briefing in Quezon City.
Abu said the team from Japan, which arrived on Friday, have already met with the personnel from PCG and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
“Actually, right now may ongoing po silang meeting. Kahapon, nag-briefing ang team nila, nagbigay ang coast guard ng briefing about the incident… so na-brief na sila kahapon. And at this very moment ongoing ang briefing ng DENR sa kanila via Zoom kaya po medyo na-delay ang pasok ko dito,” Abu said.
The PCG chief said it is important that teams or experts from other countries are briefed first as the government is implementing a scientific approach in containing the oil spill.
“So, scientific po iyong approach natin, we are very, very careful on that in introducing chemicals to the environment alam po natin iyan. Kaya nga po even iyong mga bagong dating na foreign help o iyong team na darating, let’s say sa Japan may dumating na siyam sila, magkaroon muna ng briefing bago sila i-deploy doon sa area,” Abu explained.
“They need to be in coordination with the incident command post of the coast guard so that we will know kung saan natin sila tamang i-deploy, kung saan sila tamang magamit natin nang maayos,” Abu pointed out.
Meanwhile, the PCG chief said the seaworthiness of the MT Princess Empress is still under investigation.
“It is still under investigation. Mahabang proseso po iyan,” Abu said.
The oil tanker sank last month and resulted in the spillage of thick industrial fuel oil.
Abu said it has been located 389.1 meters below sea level, and 13.89 kilometers northeast of Balingawan Point of Pola, Mindoro. (PND)
