In an effort to prevent oil from washing up on the coast, residents of a Philippine island renowned for its pristine sand beaches and turquoise waters are armed themselves with human hair and old clothing, as reported by Bloomberg.
Tanker sinks
Following the sinking of the Princess Empress tanker in the province of Oriental Mindoro in early March, residents of Cassian, in the Palawan Province, have been cleaning the beaches after a portion of an oil slick reached nearly 300 kilometres.
As the ship went down, it was carrying 800,000 litres of industrial fuel, which caused large stretches of the local shoreline to turn black and prompted officials to proclaim a state of calamity.
The Philippine Coast Guard reported that Palawan, which is frequently cited as having some of the world’s most stunning beaches, first saw signs of the spill on Friday. The Coast Guard also assisted locals in cleaning up petroleum remnants from nearby beaches.
Local disaster
According to Andy Capones, who leads a team of responders from the local disaster management office, residents in the nearby El Nido, a popular tourist destination known for its coral reefs and diving spots, have been preparing for the worst by gathering hair from barbershops and old clothing that can be stuffed into fishing nets to use as makeshift oil containment booms. If the oil gets to our area, tourism would suffer since tourists won’t be able to go island hopping, he said.
The spill is also threatening the Verde Island Passage, a body of water between Mindoro and Batangas provinces, which is home to endangered species including whale sharks, hawksbill turtles and manta rays. Some of the oil may reach the passage by March 16, the University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute said Monday.
Scramble to Save Paradise
The Philippine Coast Guard has sought the help of the US in containing and cleaning up the oil spill, which has taken a heavy toll on tourism and fishing in Oriental Mindoro. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has directed authorities to eliminate the slick within four months. The Southeast Asian nation is targeting tourist arrivals of around 4.8 million this year, nearly double last year’s level, following the easing of Covid restrictions.
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Source: Bloomberg
