The Philippine Coast Guard deploys an oil spill boom and skimmer with manual scooping around the suspected area of the sunken MT Princess Empress in Oriental Mindoro on March 14, 2023. Photo courtesy of Malayan Towage and Salvage Corporation/Philippine Coast Guard
The government of South Korea is sending a team from the Korean Coast Guard (KCG) to help the Philippines contain a rapidly spreading oil spill in Oriental Mindoro province, the Korean Embassy in Manila said.
In its advisory, the South Korean government said it is also providing 1,000 meters of solid flotation curtain boom, 2,000 sets of personal protective equipment (PPE) and 20 tons of sorbet pads and snares to the Philippines.
"This is the first time Korea has provided assistance for the prevention of marine pollution, and Korea highly values the importance of restoring areas affected by environmental disasters and accidents," it said.
Several governments including Japan and the United States have committed to provide assistance in the cleanup of the massive oil spill in Oriental Mindoro brought about by a sunken oil tanker.
A Japanese remotely operated vehicle earlier located the sunken MT Princess Empress, which was carrying 800,000 liters of industrial fuel oil when it went down in rough seas on Feb. 28.
Diesel fuel and thick oil from the tanker have contaminated the waters and beaches of several municipalities along the coast of Oriental Mindoro province, known for its rich marine life.