The immediate effects of the oil spill in Pola are already overwhelming to face at present, but the full extent of the damage has yet to be determined.
Fishing is what the 61-year-old native of Pola, Oriental Mindoro has known all his life. It’s a skill that he inherited from his father, also a fisherman.
“We do not know until when that will be. Maybe until there’s oil in the sea, we can’t fish,” said Je Martinay, a fisherman andRoberto Castillo Bargamino, a 50-year-old fisherman, is worried about his neighbors, who have applied for loans but may now be unable to pay them due to the sudden loss of income.Playing the hand they are dealt with is now top of mind for residents.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development said it has distributed nearly a thousand family food packs to residents in Pola. Its newly-minted chief Rex Gatchalian even flew to the town and visited the most remote villages to distribute relief packages. “Maybe they can support us for one month or two months, but after that, we do not know. So we need to think of alternative jobs for the people,” she told Rappler, adding she will knock on the doors of DSWD, as well as labor and agriculture departments.A major cleanup led by the national government has yet to kick into high gear, so early on, residents took matters into their own hands, literally.
But most cleanup efforts are really community-led, the provincial disaster risk reduction and management office said.effort, fishermen installed makeshift oil spill containment booms made of bamboo, with coconut leaves attached to it, to catch oil before it reaches the shore.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Over 3,000 fisherfolk affected by oil spill in Oriental Mindoro get aid from GMA Kapuso FoundationAn oil spill has left many fisherfolk and fish vendors in Barangay Papandayan in Oriental Mindoro without a means of livelihood.
Read more »
Tanker owner guarantees 'commitment' to Oriental Mindoro oil spill cleanupThe company that owns the sunken oil tanker hires two contractors which helped in the Guimaras oil spill to assist in the cleanup efforts in Oriental Mindoro.
Read more »
Oil spill puts 8 more towns in Oriental Mindoro in calamity stateEight more towns in the province of Oriental Mindoro were placed under a state of calamity on Monday by the provincial board to help authorities provide aid to communities affected by the oil spill from the sunken MT Princess Empress.
Read more »
WATCH: The oil spill's impact, in the words of Oriental Mindoro fishermen and familiesRappler talks to residents of a fishing community in Oriental Mindoro about the challenges brought about by the oil spill. Watch it here:
Read more »
Oriental Mindoro oil spill now affecting tourist spots—DOTTourist destinations in Oriental Mindoro and nearby provinces are now affected by the oil spill caused by sinking of the motor tanker (MT) Princess Empress, the Department of Tourism (DOT) has disclosed.
Read more »
House panel to probe Oriental Mindoro oil spillCavite 4th district Rep. Elpidio Barzaga Jr. is seeking a House inquiry into the sinking of MT Princess Empress off the waters of Naujan, Oriental Mindoro that led to the spillage of 800,000 liters of industrialized fuel.
Read more »