HAIR to save the day. No pun intended but it is one of the literal solutions of the Department of the Interior and Local Government is asking all barber shops and parlors to donate cut hair and coconuts husks in order to contain the oil spill in Limay, Bataan, that is spreading rapidly in the Philippine waters.

The DILG also called on the public to donate hay.

The said materials will  be formed into oil booms that will be used to contain the oil spill in Bataan and nearby areas.

According to their spill alert advisory, the DILG Bataan said that “every contribution counts and will help in resolving this crisis quickly.’’

The DILG said that the need to use oil booms is needed to contain the oil spill and utilize skimmers to remove it from the water.

The chemical dispersants on the other hand dissolve the oil and dissolve it in the natural process.

The DILG said that with the clean-up drive, they are currently coordinating their efforts and conducted a swift action of the local government units (LGUs) and the community in resolving the Bataan oil spill woes as quickly as possible.

Likewise, the agency said that the LGUs may provide to the affected communities with the badly needed support like financial assistance and alternative source of livelihood for the concerned fisherfolks and residents.

They expressed belief that the livelihood of the fisherfolk and the tourism industry of Bataan is affected by the oil spill due to the threat of health hazards.

“Nasira din ang mga coral reefs at mangrove areas na mahalaga sa tirahan ng mga marine species,’’ the DILG said.

It will be recalled that on July 25 on Thursday, the motor tanker Terranova owned by Shogun Ships Company Incorporated carrying 1.4 million liters of industrial fuel oil capsized around 3.6 nautical miles or around seven kilometers east of Lamao Point in Bataan.

Banner Photo Courtesy: Noel Celis, Greenpeace handout