THE oil spill from the sinking of the MT Princess Empress may reach Palawan in a week, experts from the University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute said.
In its latest bulletin, the UP MSI showed model forecasts showing the possible movement of the oil spill.
Based on its projections, the spill will continue to move southwest to the Cuyo group of islands and will get close to northern Palawan in about a week.
But the UP MSI said these are just forecasts “and accuracy is difficult to determine.”
It said many factors may still come into play and the model results should be used with caution.
“The model does not account for dispersion, evaporation, emulsification, and degradation of the oil and assumes that the oil behaves like persistent buoyant particles. Forcing parameters are based on global models which do not resolve narrow straits and small islands in the area,” it said in its bulletin.
Tourist spots watched
With its pristine beaches and clear waters, Palawan is one of the top tourist destinations in the country.
Philippine Coast Guard personnel are also keeping a close watch on Boracay, another top tourist spot, in case the oil slick reaches its shores.
So far, no oily waste has been spotted near the island, according to the Marine Environmental Protection Force of the Coast Guard District Western Visayas.
The oil spill from the February 28 sinking of the tanker earlier reached the shores of Pola, Oriental Mindoro, and Caluyo, Antique.
Pola has declared a state of calamity after the oil reached its shoreline and resulted in fishkill. It has also affected the health and livelihood of residents in the area, according to its mayor.
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Earlier, the UP MSI warned that some 20,000 hectares of coral reefs, 9,900 hectares of mangroves, and 6,000 hectares in 21 municipalities in Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, Palawan, and Antique might be at risk from the oil slick.
DOH assistance
Meanwhile, the Department of Health turned over medicines, face masks, nebulizers, oxygen concentrators, and other supplies to the Oriental Mindoro provincial government to help residents affected by the oil spill.
DOH officer in charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said the department is working with the provincial government to ensure that communities have clean drinking water.
It is also ensureing that the personnel working to clean up the oil spill have the proper protective gear, said Vergeire.
Vergeire also met with representatives from the municipal and provincial health offices, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Interior and Local Government, and healthcare workers of Pola to discuss how they should handle the oil spill.
She said there was a need for strengthened surveillance of affected individuals’ symptoms so they could be appropriately assessed. Authorities must also maintain a database of the possible effects of the chemicals and identify the populations at risk.
She said residents in areas reached by the oil spill should also be moved to safer locations.
This incident highlighted the fact that in times of disasters, calamities or any incidents, mounting a holistic approach will help us ensure the safety of the Filipino people”
Maria Rosario Vergeire
