MANILA: The Japanese government is providing expertise and vital satellite imagery to support the Philippines’ response to the Bataan oil spill.
Japanese Ambassador Kazuya Endo said the Japanese Coast Guard (JCG) and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) are exchanging insights on oil removal strategies while the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) provided satellite imagery to the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) to help map out the extent of the spill in Manila Bay.
‘Japan will continue to work closely with the Philippines to mitigate the spread of marine pollution and restore the marine environment,’ Endo said on Thursday.
The Japanese Embassy said its side continues to evaluate the extent of damage to see what kind of assistance it could extend.
‘We are still in the process of assessing the latest situation of the incident and evaluating the extent of the damage caused by this accident. JCG and PCG are discussing the possible action to be taken to mitigate the loss and damage and we are to be stay
ing in a close communication on the matter,’ it said in a separate statement sent to the Philippine News Agency.
The MT Terra Nova, carrying 1.4 million liters (370,000 gallons) of industrial fuel, sank off the coast of Bataan after encountering heavy rains and rough waves whipped up by Super Typhoon Carina last July 25 while it was en route to Iloilo.
Japan was among the first foreign governments to assist the Philippines in this latest maritime disaster.
In 2023, it also extended help and dispatched a disaster relief expert team to support the oil spill containment and removal efforts when MT Princess Empress, ferrying 900,000 liters of industrial fuel oil, sank off the coast of Naujan, Oriental Mindoro.
In an analysis of satellite imagery from the PhilSA, non-profit ocean conservation organization Oceana said the oil spill from MT Terra Nova and at least two other vessels in Bataan impacts at least 50 percent of Manila Bay, with the oil pollution reaching Cavite, Bulacan, and Bataan.
‘Toxic oil spills
in our oceans are like fires in our forests, leaving a path of destruction that brings decades of negative impacts. We know oil spills are a deathtrap for marine ecosystems, and have negative consequences on people, wildlife, and our environment,’ Oceana Vice President in the Philippines Gloria?Estenzo Ramos said.
She added that even after the oil pollution is cleaned up, seafood may be contaminated for years.
“The people of the Philippines will be dealing with the impacts of this devastation long after the headlines fade, and the government must do everything it can to mitigate this disaster as quickly as possible,’ she added.
Source : Philippines News agency
