Coral Reef Area Bigger Than Quezon City Could be Affected by Mindoro Oil Spill, U.P. Scientists Say

The tanker that spilled diesel oil near Oriental Mindoro could affect about 20,000 hectares of coral reef in the area, scientists from the University of the Philippines have warned. 

Experts from the UP Diliman’s Marine Science Institute said the affected area spans from Bulalacao, Oriental Mindoro all the way to San Jose Occidental Mindoro, which is one and half times the size of Quezon City, Metro Manila’s biggest city.

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Based on the latest bulletin issued by UP MSI, the oil slick could also affect 9,900 hectares of mangroves, and 6,000 hectares of seagrass. Around 11,00 hectares, or more than half of potentially affected reefs, are found in the Cuyo group of islands in northeastern Palawan.

The bulletin also said that aerial surveys conducted by experts from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and UP MSI estimated the oil slick to be around 25 kilometers long and between 300 to 500 meters wide.

A team comprised of representatives from UP MSI, UP Visayas, Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT), the (DENR), and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has been mobilized to address the effects of the oil spill.

UP MSI said it has issued warnings to coastal communities in the area—especially those on the eastern and southern sides of Oriental Mindoro, Caluya Island (Northwestern Antique), and potentially Cuyo Island of Palawan—to prepare for the possibility that the oil spill could reach their shores.

Philippine Coast Guard authorities have confirmed that the oil spill has reached Caluya in Antique as of Saturday morning (March 4).

The tanker MT Princess Empress sank off the coast of Naujan in Oriental Mindoro on Tuesday, February 28. The PCG said in a statement that the 800,000 liters of crude oil that the tanker was transporting from Limay, Bataan to Iloilo was not involved in the spill.

However, diesel fuel that did spill out of the tanker could be enough to cause significant damage to the area, UP MSI scientists said.

According to the MSI bulletin, a multi-agency team, including representatives from the MSI, has been mobilized to assess and assist on-site. The experts are also considering hydrodynamic modeling to help forecast where the oil might reach given current weather conditions.