9-7-2024 (MANILA) A devastating oil spill from a capsized marine tanker off the coast of Manila Bay has reached the shores of Tanza, a fishing village in Cavite province, raising serious concerns about the health and livelihoods of local fishermen. The incident has prompted immediate clean-up efforts as authorities scramble to mitigate the environmental impact.
The ill-fated vessel, MT Terra Nova, was carrying a staggering 1.5 million litres of industrial fuel when it succumbed to rough seas off the coast of Limay in Bataan province, west of Manila, last Thursday. The maritime disaster claimed the life of one crew member, whilst the remaining 16 were rescued.
As the oil slick made landfall in Tanza, fishermen reported a noxious odour permeating the air. Renan Honsana, a 48-year-old local fisherman, expressed his dismay at the situation. “This oil spill will have a massive impact on us fishermen. The sea is our livelihood, and now it’s been contaminated,” he lamented. Honsana further explained the economic ramifications, stating, “We’ll be forced to sell our catches at rock-bottom prices because people will be wary of buying potentially tainted fish.”
The Philippine Coast Guard has taken swift action, successfully sealing the leak from the capsized tanker. They are now poised to begin siphoning the remaining oil to prevent further contamination. An aerial survey conducted over the waters of Limay, Bulacan, and Cavite revealed what officials described as “minimal oil sheen”, though the full extent of the environmental damage remains to be seen.
Authorities are currently investigating whether the sinking of MT Terra Nova was related to Typhoon Gaemi, which recently intensified monsoon rains across the Philippines. The typhoon has already wreaked havoc, triggering floods and landslides that have claimed at least 36 lives.
This incident eerily echoes a similar disaster from February 2023, when the tanker MT Princess Empress, carrying approximately 800,000 litres of industrial fuel, capsized and eventually sank. The clean-up operation for that spill lasted a gruelling three months and significantly impacted several tourist towns in the region.
