The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has begun “bagging” operations to contain the oil spill from the sunken motor tanker Princess Empress.

The procedure required utilizing specialized bags to seal off cracks from the tanker’s surface and catch leaking oil with the aid of a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) or underwater robot.

This update was posted by the PCG on Facebook, accompanied by photos of the actual operations. 

The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) said in a statement that the bagging technique is part of the next phase of PCG’s oil management operations, which have now been raised to their highest level.

Among the PCG’s current priorities are the hiring of marine salvors to do the bagging, sealing, and patching of identified leaks on the vessel’s surface, as well as the hot tapping and siphoning of the ship’s fuel cargo. 

The MT Princess Empress was carrying 900,000 liters of industrial-grade oil when it sank on February 28 due to strong waves impacting over 14 barangays in the towns of Naujan, Pola, and Bulalacao in Oriental Mindoro. 

Oil spill reaches Coron, Palawan

Meanwhile, new maps produced by the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) show the possible extent of the oil spill. 

In a Facebook post, the PhilSA said that, based on satellite images from the NOAA taken between March 26 and April 2, an oil slick has already reached the island of Coron, Palawan. 

However, the PSA clarified that “all these maps are subject to field validation.” 

Palawan is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Philippines. According to the Tourism Live Inventory and Statistics of Tourist Arrivals (TourLISTA) of the Department of Tourism (DOT), Palawan attracted 690,275 tourists in 2022. 

This year, the number of tourists is expected to increase due to the easing of COVID-19 restrictions.