MANILA, Philippines — The local government of Cavite on Wednesday declared a state of calamity in eight areas of the province after the Bataan oil spill reached the Cavite coastline.
In a situation report, Cavite governor Jonvic Remulla shared a video where the shellfish caught by the fishermen were seen coated with oil allegedly from the leakage of the sunken tanker Terra Nova.
“Kumalat na po ang oil spill sa baybayin dagat ng Cavite,” Remulla said in his report, following a declaration of a state of calamity in eight areas of the province.
According to the official, affected municipalities by the oil spill and are now in the state of calamity include: Bacoor, Kawit, Noveleta, Rosario, Tanza, Naic, Maragondon, and Ternate.
The province also declared a no-catch zone for all shellfish (tahong, alimasag, alimango, halaan) in the vicinity aside from the state of calamity.
“The Cavite Government is currently meeting for the immediate distribution of relief goods for the 25,000 affected fisherfolks in Cavite. We start emergency work today,” Remulla said.
The Terra Nova tanker carrying 1.4 million liters of industrial fuel oil capsized last week in Limay, Bataan where one of its 17 crew members died. The Philippine Coast Guard earlier said the public should not be alarmed that the oil spill would reach the coasts of Manila as they have seen “minimal” oil and efforts to contain the leaks have been ongoing despite delays in the salvage operations due to the capping of valves and pipes of the sunken tanker.
This is contrary to the report of the University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute where it said that its oil spill trajectory forecasts that the spill will reach Metro Manila by July 30, 1:00 a.m.
Asked about the compensation for the displaced fisherfolks in Cavite, the PCG said the priority of the authorities was to recover the oil inside the sunken tanker before the compensation of fisherfolks affected by the oil spill.
Greenpeace Philippines earlier reported a sighting of a “thick layer of oil” across the water’s surface approximately four kilometers from the coastline of Tibaguin Island, Hagonoy, Bulacan.
