NextGen Day

To lessen the effects of another environmental calamity comparable to the oil spill occurrence in Mindoro Oriental, a Filipino environmental expert encouraged the government to invest in technology and preparedness exercises.

Professor of environmental science Hernando Bacosa of Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology advised the government to learn from the oil spill, which has already had an impact on 12 towns and neighboring provinces.

He remarked during the Saturday News Forum in Quezon City, “We have to invest in technology, we have to invest in ROV (remotely operated vehicle) na galing ng (from) Japan, and then we have to organize ourselves as a strong force po respond to oil spill.”

“[K]ung may (If we have) earthquakes drill tayo kahit siguro (just) once or twice a year, mayroon tayong oil spill drill na alam natin ang gagawin, kung maka-deploy ba tayo ng ganitong technology, at least alam natin,” he continued.

He claimed that the nation now lacks “the technological capability to seal the leaking tanks” in the instance of the sunken M/T Princess Empress.

Given that the Philippines is an archipelagic country and that it is home to some of the most biodiverse marine environments in the world, Bacosa argued that this investment should be given top priority.

The professor, who also oversees a Department of Science and Technology (DOST) effort to assist with the Mindoro leak, suggested that the government pursue studies into how to limit slicks before an oil spill occurs.

“[K]apag may ganyang nangyari dapat ready na iyong ating science team, ready na iyong ating technology to respond kasi nga it could happen anytime lalo na talagang 7,100 islands tayo,” he said.

According to Bacosa, a study to create locally produced materials with effective oil sequestration is now being funded by the DOST.

However, the program is still in its infancy, and the materials are not yet prepared for deployment in Mindoro.

“We need to support this and commercialize it to sustain it, possibly sell it to other countries,” he said. “The DOST is investing in this kind of technology and dapat po we have to support this one hanggang mag-commercialize na puwede nating magamit, puwede nating ipagbili sa ibang bansa.”

spill in Mindoro

The M/T Princess Empress collapsed off Naujan in Oriental Mindoro on February 28 while transporting roughly 900,000 gallons of industrial fuel oil, spewing thick oil into the water.

The leak has already reached the waters surrounding Verde Island in Batangas province, which is situated in the Verde Island Passage, the location of the world’s greatest concentration of marine shorefish species, according to Capt. Victorino Acosta, head of the Philippine Coast Guard’s Batangas Station.

In addition to containment and cleanup measures, oil fingerprinting is required to ascertain the quantity of hydrocarbons in impacted locations, according to Bacosa.

According to him, this might serve as proof that the leak polluted locations as far away as Palawan.

Finally, he continued, “you have to show the court that it is the same oil as the Mindoro oil spill.

He said that crude oil, also known as SARA, has four main chemical compounds: saturated hydrocarbon, aromatic hydrocarbon, resins, and asphaltenes.

The most harmful of the four is an aromatic hydrocarbon, which is also “potentially mutagenic” and can result in cancer.

“And this bunker has a high amount of aromatic hydrocarbon,” Bacosa added of the bunker’s oil.

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