SK Coast Guard to aid PH in oil spill cleanup

South Korea is sending a Korean Coast Guard team to the Philippines to help clean up the oil spill from the sunken MT Princess Empire, which has affected Oriental Mindoro and other provinces.

The Korean Coast Guard team, composed of four personnel, is scheduled to arrive on March 27 and will stay for one week to aid their Filipino counterparts, who will also receive technical experts.

The South Korean government will provide essential cleaning equipment, including 20 tons of sorbent pads and snares, 1,000 meters of solid flotation curtain boom, and 2,000 sets of personal protective equipment (PPE), valued at approximately PHP 11.4 million.

These items are expected to arrive by April 5.

This initiative marks the first time South Korea has offered assistance for marine pollution prevention.

The MT Princess Empress was carrying around 900,000 liters of industrial fuel oil when it sank due to strong waves on February 28, with all 20 people on board rescued.

As of Thursday, the oil spill has affected 163,498 people or 34,553 families in Mimaropa and Western Visayas, with at least 192 people falling ill, and a state of calamity declared in 10 cities and municipalities.

South Korea is the third nation to offer support for the oil spill cleanup, following Japan and the United States.