Oil spill affecting tourism, livelihood in Pola, Mindoro

The oil spill from the submerged motor tanker off Najuan has affected the livelihood of the residents in Pola, Mindoro, Jun Veneracion reported on “24 Oras” on Friday.

Apart from the temporary suspension of fishing activities in the province, the tourism industry in the town also saw a decline after the oil spill reached some of their beaches.

Eleven coastal barangays in the municipality were affected by the sinking of MT Princess Empress, which was carrying 800,000 liters of fuel tanker, on February 28.

This prompted the municipal government to earlier declare a state of emergency.

“Noong una inisip ko ok lang kasi hindi pa namin nararamdaman masyado. Pero unti-unti namin naaamoy, unti-unti naming nakikita sa karagatan namin. Doon natin nakikita na palaki nang palaki pala ‘yung problema,” Pola Mayor Jennifer Cruz said.

(At first, I thought it was okay because we did not feel its effect. But as we smell and see its impact on our seas, we notice how the problem is growing.)

Seven municipalities in the provinces suffered from the incident, according to the report.

The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (PDRRMO) warned the oil spill is slowly crippling the ten marine protected areas in Oriental Mindoro where fishes lay eggs.

“Ang nakikita natin yung problema sa ibabaw. 'Yung problema sa ilalim hindi pa natin nakikita so wala pa tayong assessment ng damage sa corals natin, sa sea grass kaya mas malaking problema ‘yun,” said Oriental Mindoro PDRRMO chief Vincent Gahol.

(We are seeing the problem on the surface but not yet underwater. We have yet to make an assessment of the damage to our corals and sea grasses. That’s a huge problem.)

Meanwhile, several fisherfolk in Pola appealed to the government for cash subsidies or ‘ayuda’ due to the incident’s effect on their livelihood.

“Sana po ay magkaroon ng ayuda katulad namin mangingisda..'Yung tulong na galing sa gobyerno...Hindi kakayanin kasi matagal pa siguro yan,” Arnold Magpantay, a fisherman, said.

(We hope the government will provide subsidies for us.)

The company operating MT Princess Empress expressed regret over the incident and told LGUs they are “doing everything to provide them with support within the best of our limited resources”.

It also asked for understanding and said it will work with authorities and affected communities until the issue is resolved.—Sundy Locus/LDF, GMA Integrated News