Eight Cavite municipalities placed under state of calamity due to Bataan oil spill
Cavite Gov. Jonvic Remulla placed eight municipalities under a state of calamity following the oil spill from the ship that sank in Bataan.
"Kumalat na po ang oil spill sa baybayin dagat ng Cavite," Remulla said in a Facebook post on July 31.
The affected areas under a state of calamity include Bacoor, Kawit, Noveleta, Rosario, Tanza, Naic, Maragondon, and Ternate.
To be put in a state of calamity allows the release of funds for relief operations, frozen price increases of goods, suspended interests in loans, and permitted importations and donations.
In the comments section, Remulla shared a video of crabs in a net, saying they are filled with oil.
"'Yan po 'yung alimasag. Punong-puno ng langis. Di na po mapakinabangan," he said.
Remulla said there will be a "no-catch zone" for all shellfish like tahong, alimasag, alimango, and halaan in their vicinity.
The governor noted that 25,000 fisherfolks were affected by the oil spill, and the local government is meeting for the immediate distribution of relief goods.
"We start all emergency work today," he added.
On July 25, the MT Terranova, carrying 1.4 million liters of industrial fuel oil, was headed to Iloilo when it sank 3.6 nautical miles from Lamao point in Limay in Bataan due to bad weather.
One crew member died, while 16 others were rescued.
In an interview with ANC on July 31, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said the oil spill wouldn't reach Metro Manila.
"Walang oil sheen going towards Manila, clear po yung dagat," said PCG Commandant Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan.
"The assessment of ITOPF [is] it's not as bad as [the] Mindoro oil spill. The quantity of oil is very minimal," he continued.
Meanwhile, Bataan Governor Jose Enrique Garcia said that they will provide for affected families including fishermen, tricycle drivers, and public market vendors after tests showed that the water quality in the four villages has "deteriorated."
The PCG is set to conduct a siphoning operation after the motor tanker's valves have been sealed. To date, the PCG said 18 of the 24 valves had been sealed and the oil removal is expected to happen on Wednesday, July 31.
The agency explained that of the 1.4 million liters of industrial fuel oil that MT Terranova has, 300,000 liters need to be siphoned to keep it afloat.
The process may take up to seven days.
President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. ordered the creation of an inter-agency task force to address the oil spill.
Per the United States' National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, an oil spill can injure animals due to internal and external exposure. Seafood can be harmed and unsafe to eat.
It can also harm habitats and may alter migration patterns, disrupting the life cycles of animals.
It can also lead to the closures of beaches, parks, waterways, and recreational and commercial fisheries. This can severely impact economies in the short and long term.