Mindoro oil spill affects over 100,000 residents, damages coastal areas

Over 100,000 residents in Mindoro are affected by the oil spill from the sunken MT Princess Empress, which was carrying 800,000 liters of fuel oil.

The spill has damaged 47 kilometers of coastal areas across 11 barangays in Pola, Oriental Mindoro, and affected 533 hectares of mangrove areas.

Fishing, the islanders' primary source of income, has been banned, with fishermen unable to fish and squid dying, leading to price increases for other goods.

Authorities have begun paying residents P300 per day for cleanup efforts and have deployed fence booms.

Resorts have canceled bookings, significantly impacting the tourism industry, and local government is planning alternative livelihoods.

The sunken tanker lies at a depth of 400 meters, and the fishing ban may persist as long as the vessel remains submerged.

Damage to shorelines, fish, seagrasses, corals, and mangroves has been reported.