Philippines races to prevent oil spill ‘catastrophe’ | National News

Efforts were made by the Philippine Coast Guard on Friday to offload 1.4 million litres of industrial fuel oil from a sunken tanker to prevent an “environmental catastrophe” in Manila Bay. 

Tragedy struck when the MT Terra Nova sank in rough seas nearly seven kilometres (4.3 miles) off Limay municipality early Thursday after departing for the city of Iloilo.

An oil slick stretching several kilometres was detected in the waterway, crucial for the livelihoods of thousands of fishermen and tourism operators. 

Rear Admiral Armando Balilo, spokesman for the coast guard, mentioned on Friday that the spill was deemed “minimal” and appeared to be diesel fuel that powered the tanker, not the industrial fuel oil cargo. 

“No oil leakage has been observed from the tank itself, so we are in a race against time to syphon the oil and prevent an environmental disaster,” Balilo stated.

The coast guard set a timeline of seven days to offload the cargo and avert what Balilo warned could be the worst oil spill in Philippine history should a leak occur.

At the Port of Limay in Bataan province, AFP journalists witnessed coast guard personnel loading oil dispersant and a suction skimmer onto a boat to combat the slick.

Balilo informed that oil spill containment booms had been deployed as a precaution for the potential leakage of the industrial fuel oil before it could be offloaded.

Once the weather improved, coast guard divers would conduct an inspection of the tanker’s position to initiate the siphoning operation, he added.

The coast guard held a meeting on Friday with representatives of the MT Terra Nova’s owner and a salvage company to discuss the operation timeline.

“There is no need to panic at the moment, but we must remain vigilant,” Balilo cautioned.

– Surrounded by waves –

The incident took place as heavy rains, fueled by Typhoon Gaemi and the monsoon season, battered Manila and neighboring regions in recent days.

Following a departure late Wednesday, the captain decided to abort the journey to Iloilo due to rough seas.

Investigations are ongoing to verify the crew’s accounts that the vessel sustained damage as it tried to turn back and had to be towed by another ship. 

Due to large waves, the tow line was somehow severed, causing the MT Terra Nova to “lose control” and sink, said Balilo.

“We will investigate if any protocols were breached or if there was an error in decision-making,” Balilo explained.

Sixteen out of the 17 crew members were rescued. 

Greenpeace, an environmental campaign group, asserted that the owners of MT Terra Nova should be responsible for any environmental harm and compensating affected communities.

One of the most severe oil spills in the Philippines occurred in February 2023 when a tanker carrying 800,000 litres of industrial fuel oil sank off Mindoro Island.

The spillage of diesel fuel and thick oil contaminated the waters and beaches along Oriental Mindoro province, devastating the fishing and tourism sectors. 

The oil spread across hundreds of kilometers of waters known for their diverse marine life.

In 2006, a tanker sank off Guimaras Island, spilling tens of thousands of gallons of oil, which damaged a marine reserve, impacted local fishing grounds, and covered coastlines in oil sludge.

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