28-7-2024 (MANILA) The Philippines faces an escalating environmental crisis as efforts to remove fuel from a sunken tanker in Manila Bay have been postponed, with oil now reaching the shoreline for the first time. The delay in the salvage operation has heightened fears of an ecological catastrophe that could surpass any previous oil spill incidents in the country’s history.
Philippine Coast Guard spokesman Rear Admiral Armando Balilo announced on Sunday that the siphoning of 1.4 million litres of industrial fuel oil from the vessel’s hold has been pushed back to Tuesday at the earliest. The postponement is due to the urgent need for divers to seal nine leaking valves, a crucial step to prevent further contamination of the bay’s waters.
The tanker sank during adverse weather conditions off Manila early Thursday, resulting in one crew member’s death and leaving the nation on the brink of what could potentially become its worst-ever oil spill. “An order was given to seal the valves first before the start of the siphoning operations in order to prevent further leakages,” Balilo explained, adding that poor weather conditions continue to hamper recovery efforts.
In a worrying development, Balilo later confirmed that “small patches” of oil had been discovered on the coast of Bulakan municipality, situated on the bay’s northern shore near Manila. The contaminated area is reportedly on the fringes of a reclamation project for a planned international airport, underscoring the potential economic impact of the spill.
Environmental group Greenpeace has raised additional concerns, reporting a “thick layer of oil” approximately 4 kilometres off the coast of nearby Hagonoy municipality. The Coast Guard is investigating these claims, which suggest the spill may be more widespread than initially thought.
The gravity of the situation has prompted the Coast Guard to warn of an “environmental catastrophe” should the entire cargo leak into the bay. As a precautionary measure, fishing activities in Manila Bay have been suspended to prevent the consumption of potentially contaminated fish.
This incident brings to light the Philippines’ troubled history with oil spills. Last year, a tanker carrying 800,000 litres of industrial fuel oil sank off the central island of Mindoro, requiring months of clean-up efforts and devastating local fishing and tourism industries. In 2006, another tanker sank off Guimaras Island, spilling tens of thousands of gallons of oil and causing extensive damage to a marine reserve and coastal areas.
Adding to the complexity of the situation, the Coast Guard and a private salvage operator are simultaneously working to offload an unspecified amount of diesel from a second tanker that has sunk at the mouth of Manila Bay. Initially claimed by its owners to be empty, coast guard divers discovered and sealed leaks in the vessel, known as the MTKR Jason Bradley.
