Oriental Mindoro Governor Humerlito Dolor said Friday that the oil spill from the sunken motor tanker has reached Calapan City.

“I confirmed that at 9:58 last night. We released an official confirmation. The oil covers around 500 meters of the coastline,” Dolor told dzBB.

In a statement released late Thursday, Dolor said he received a report from the Philippine Coast Guard at 9:58 pm confirming the presence of 500 meters of oil on the shoreline of Barangay Navotas, Calapan City.

He also said that fishing is not allowed in Navotas until the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) says it is safe.

Dennis Escosora, head of Calapan City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (CDRRMO), said they are still assessing the effects of the oil spill on the coastline of the city.

“For now, we are still seeing traces of oil. It is probably because yesterday it was low tide. So we are only able to see the effects on the coastline of Calapan City,” Escosora said in a separate interview with dzBB.

Escosora said the CDDRMO had a meeting with the city administrator and the Philippine Coast Guard Thursday night to discuss how to manage the oil spill.

“The oil has reached the shoreline. Based on our meeting last night, if the Coast Guard will be able to sail, they will be doing cleaning operations today while the CDRRMO will set up oil spill booms at the entrance of the mangrove areas in Calapan,” Escosora said.

Fisherfolks have been mobilized to make improvised oil spill booms, he added. Jaspearl Tan/DMS