President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to talk to local chief executives for alternative fishing grounds to help displaced fisherfolk in Oriental Mindoro.

Marcos instructed Interior and Local Government Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. to schedule a dialogue with the local officials of the four fishing sites within the Calabarzon and Mimaropa regions during a situation briefing with the local and national government officials in Pola, Oriental Mindoro on Saturday.

"The four alternative fishing sites in Regions 4-A and 4-B include Mindoro Strait in Mindoro Oriental, Cuyo Pass in Batangas, Tablas Strait in Romblon and Tayabas Bay in Quezon," the Palace said.

Calabarzon (Region 4-A) is composed of the provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon while Mimaropa (Region 4-B) is composed of the provinces of Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan, it added.

In a briefer issued on Friday, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) has so far recorded more than P400 million of income loss due to the oil spill incident.

BFAR said data showed there were 26,719 registered fisherfolk directly affected by the oil spill as of March 31, 2023.

"They incurred an average daily income loss of P714.00 on current PSA estimates, with almost P20 million daily losses—which translated to a total income loss of P441,253,428.00 in 22 fishing days," it stated.

"Meanwhile, the damage or losses in terms of inputs and produce, fishing gears and paraphernalia, and facilities and equipment amounted to a total of P445,333,928.00 These include: fisheries production losses from Mimaropa’s commercial and municipal fisheries valued at P14,138,400; and damage to 119 metric tons (MT) of seaweed productions in Western Visayas valued at almost P3 million," it added.

As he led the distribution of aid to the oil spill affected community in Oriental Mindoro, Marcos also assured that the national government, through the BFAR and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), will continue to monitor the situation in the province.

“DENR will continue to monitor the situation. BFAR will continue to monitor the situation. As soon as it is cleared we can go back to normal, back to the old normal, going to the new normal,” he said.

“The immediate danger, the immediate situation has already been attended to. What you said is right, we need to take advantage, let's put in a new water system and livelihood," he added. Robina Asido/DMS