The Philippine Coast Guard and local partners have deployed pollution response personnel and equipment to Misamis Oriental province following an oil discharge originating from a docked cargo vessel.
The coast guard was able to recover more than 2,000 litres of oil that had leaked from the 1,600DWT cargo vessel Racal IV after it sank while docked at Jasaan town on Saturday, April 3.
A local official said an undetermined quantity of oil is still in the waters off Jasaan and is likely to spread to other nearby coastal villages even though containment booms have already been put in place.
The coast guard said that oil removal operations were originally scheduled to commence on the vessel, which has been docked in the same area for over five years and is no longer operational.
A local salvage company had volunteered to carry out the oil removal after eyewitnesses reported seeing a hull breach. However, the vessel sank before the salvage team could place containment booms around it.
The coast guard added that the vessel's owner, which is yet to be identified, may be charged for violating the Clean Water Act.
