MT Princess Empress oil spill

MT Princess Empress, the oil tanker that caused the oil spill, is owned by RDC Reield Marine Services.[8][9] Before it sank, the oil tanker was crewed by 20 people and en route to Iloilo to transport 900,000 liters (240,000 U.S. gal)[lower-alpha 2] of industrial fuel oil from SL Gas Harbor Terminal in Limay, Bataan. According to an energy sector source, industrial fuel oil, also known as "black oil", is "highly toxic to the environment".[10]

The Tablas Strait, where the oil spill occurred, is a waterway between the islands of Mindoro, Marinduque, Panay, and Tablas that serves as a major shipping route in the Philippines. The strait and its adjacent waterbodies, including the Verde Island Passage, are one of the most biodiverse in the country.[11][12] At least 21 marine protected areas could be affected by the oil spill according to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).[12][13] Moreover, residents of the coastal settlements of Oriental Mindoro and nearby provinces rely on fishing and other marine activities for their livelihood.[11] Particularly the fisherfolks, which are communities vulnerable to natural and man-made hazards, had their subsistence, food security, and human well-being highly compromised.[14]

At approximately 2 a.m. Philippine Standard Time (UTC+8) on February 28, 2023, while traversing the waters of Naujan, Oriental Mindoro, MT Princess Empress experienced rough sea conditions.[15] At 4:16 a.m., it was reported to be half-submerged.[2] Four minutes later,[2] Panamanian-flagged MV Efes rescued the oil tanker's crew and took them to Subic, Zambales,[16][17] where they arrived at around 6 p.m. unscathed.[18] From its initial position, Princess Empress drifted towards the vicinity of Balingawan Point before sinking completely by 8 a.m.[19][20] Later that day, BRP Melchora Aquino and an Airbus helicopter were dispatched to the area by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) to investigate. A five-kilometer-long and 500-meter-wide oil spill was then discovered near the shipwreck, although the coast guard clarified that it was from the diesel fuel used to power the tanker, not the industrial fuel oil it was carrying.[21][22]

On March 1, the oil spill expanded to around six by four kilometers.[23] The coast guard described its slick as "black and thick, with strong odor". The oil had thinner particles as compared with the diesel fuel from the tanker, which caused an initial oil spill.[24] At around 2 pm, MTUG Titan – a tugboat carrying oil spill recovery equipment and members of the Marine Environmental Protection Unit (MEPU) of the PCG, the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) of the DENR, and Malayan Towage and Salvage Corporation (MTSC) – reached the oil spill area and began spraying oil dispersants.[25]

Oil spill collection in Caluya, Antique

Oil spill off the waters of Oriental Mindoro.

The oil spill affected nine municipalities in Oriental Mindoro: Naujan, Pola, Pinamalayan, Gloria, Bansud, Bongabong, Roxas, Mansalay and Bulalacao; one in Antique: Caluya;[26] and two in Palawan: Taytay and Agutaya.[27] According to BFAR, the fishing sector loses nearly P19 million daily as the Mindoro Oil Spill drags on.[14] In Oriental Mindoro alone, more than 99,000 people have been affected; 122 of whom have fallen ill, with some experiencing respiratory-related symptoms, vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, eye irritation, and fever.[28][29]

By late April, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) estimated the environmental damage caused by the oil spill at ₱7 billion; losses to agriculture and fisheries reached ₱3.8 billion according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).[30] Most of the affected areas are in the Mimaropa region.[31]

The NDRRMC reported that more than 40,000 families or nearly 200,000 individuals have been affected,[31] mostly in the provinces of Oriental Mindoro, Batangas, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan, and in the Western Visayas region.[32] The DENR reported that, also affected were the livelihood of 26,000 fisherfolk,[31] mostly in Oriental Mindoro.[30]

The oil spill reportedly reached Verde Island Passage[31] and also affected major ecosystems across the provinces of Oriental Mindoro, Palawan, and Antique.[32] By April 27, about 300,000 liters of fuel oil remain in the sunken vessel.[32]

RDC Reield Marine Services, the owner of MT Princess Empress, hired two contractors—Harbor Star Shipping Services and Malayan Towage and Salvage Corporation—to help with their cleanup efforts.[9]

The Department of Justice said it will petition for a Writ of Kalikasan if cleanup efforts are not completed within the period set by the government.[33]

Fishing communities affected by the oil spill will receive compensation to be sourced from the International Oil Pollution Compensation funds.[34]

• Guimaras oil spill

• Disaster Response Operations Monitoring and Information Center (DROMIC) – Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)
• Effects of Oil Spill in CALABARZON, MIMAROPA, and Region VI (Western Visayas) – National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC)
• Oil spill in Philippines, an activation of the International Charter 'Space and Major Disasters'
• MT Princess Empress Incident Information Centre
• MT Princess Empress oil spill updates – Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)