The sinking of the MT Princess Empress, which was carrying 800,000 liters of industrial fuel oil near the Verde Island Passage, left an estimated P40 billion in environmental damage, a non-governmental think-tank said Monday. 

Gerry Arances, executive director of the Center for Energy, Ecology and Development (CEED), said a study conducted by various experts including members of the UP College of Economics revealed the widespread damage wrought by the oil spill. 

Damages left by the MT Princess Empress oil spill exceeded P1 billion, he added. 

The Philippine Coast Guard deploys an oil spill boom and skimmer with manual scooping around the suspected area of the sunken MT Princess Empress approximately 7.1 nautical miles northeast of the shorelines of Balingawan Port, Lucta Port, and Buloc Bay in Oriental Mindoro on March 14, 2023. Photo courtesy of Malayan Towage and Salvage Corporation/Philippine Coast Guard/File

He said the CEED estimates are about 800 times more than previous estimates of some government agencies.

"Kaya namin inilalabas ito para may parallel na citizen-led estimates para maikumpara doon sa pwedeng ilabas na gobyerno kasi walang lumalabas na komprehensibong pag-aaral. Gusto rin nating i-engage din ang gobyerno dahil halos kakapiranggot kasi yung naging atensyon at response dito sa disaster na ito," he said in a TeleRadyo Serbisyo interview. 

Water testing in marine protected areas affected by the oil spill showed high concentration of oil and grease far above acceptable standards, the CEED official said.

"Importante ang marine protected areas kasi dyan nanggagaling 'yung karamihan ng isda na nangingitlog at lumalaki para maging source ng livelihood ng ating mga kababayan dyan na mga mangingisda," he said. 

He added: "Itong darating na anibersayo ay ili-lift na ang state of calamity dyan sa POLA, Oriental Mindoro kaya rin tayo nananawagan sa gobyerno dahil kumbaga inadequate kung nakuha natin."

Environmental group Oceana Philippines earlier warned mangroves, seagrasses and corals will take years to recover from the tragedy.

Damage in Mindoro oil spill 'extensive,' will be felt for decades - group

The Department of Justice has approved the filing of criminal charges against M/T Princess Empress corporate officers as well as personnel of the Philippine Coast Guard and the Maritime Industry Authority in relation to the oil spill that affected Oriental Mindoro last year.

MT Princess owners, PCG and Marina personnel face criminal raps over Mindoro oil spill