State of calamity declared in 8 Cavite towns due to oil spill

UPDATE. Kumalat na po ang oil spill sa baybayin dagat ng Cavite.

Affected are the municipalities of Bacoor, Kawit, Noveleta, Rosario, Tanza, Naic, Maragondon, and Ternate.

As of today, the province is declaring a STATE OF CALAMITY in these areas. pic.twitter.com/Cn7p3xF4Ok

— Jonvic Remulla (@jonvicremulla) July 31, 2024

A state of calamity was declared in eight towns in Cavite due to the oil spill affecting the areas, Governor Jonvic Remulla said on Wednesday.

“Kumalat na po ang oil spill sa baybayin dagat ng Cavite (The oil spill is spreading on the coastal waters of Cavite). Affected are the municipalities of Bacoor, Kawit, Noveleta, Rosario, Tanza, Naic, Maragondon, and Ternate,” Remulla said in a post of X (formerly Twitter).

“As of today, the province is declaring a STATE OF CALAMITY in these areas,” he added.

Aside from this, Remulla said the provincial government also imposes a “no catch zone” for all shellfish in the vicinity waters of their area. “The Cavite Government is currently meeting for the immediate distribution of relief goods for the 25,000 affected fisherfolks in Cavite,”  he said.

Instances of oil spill have been reported in some areas in Bulacan, Cavite, and Metro Manila allegedly due to the sinking of MT Terranova off Limay, Bataan on July 25.

However, the Philippine Coast Guard said they have yet to verify such information.

On July 25, one crew member died and 16 others were rescued after MT Terranova capsized and sank 3.6 nautical miles east off Lamao Point in Limay town, according to the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).

The motor tanker was carrying 1.4 million liters of industrial fuel oil.

The siphoning operation for MT Terranova in Bataan had been postponed. Initially, the PCG said the siphoning of the oil from the sunken motor tanker will be done on Tuesday.

“Yung siphoning is yet to commence. Most likely baka bukas kung matapos yung pag-seal ng mga remaining valves (The siphoning is yet to begin. Most likely tomorrow if the remaining valves are sealed),” PCG commandant Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan said in a virtual press conference.

So far, only 18 of the 24 valves of the motor tanker have been sealed, according to the PCG.

Once all valves are sealed, the siphoning operation may start. Of the 1.4 million liters of industrial fuel oil, 300,000 liters need to be siphoned to float MT Terranova. This would take up to seven days.

Then, the motor tanker will be moved to a shallow area, the PCG said.

Asked about the possibility of compensation by the ship owner, Gavan said the PCG is focusing on responding to the oil spill for now. He said an investigation will be conducted into the incident. — RSJ/KBK, GMA Integrated News