Charles Teves
Puerto Galera Mayor Rocky Ilagan requested that the University of the Philippines-Marine Science Institute (UP MSI) act responsibly when making predictions about the oil spill in Oriental Mindoro. These predictions, according to the mayor, caused tourists to avoid their beaches.
“Sana naman, katulad ng naunang sinabi ko, ay maging responsible sila dahil hanapbuhay po ng mga tao ang naapektuhan,” he told ABS-CBN.
“At alam ‘nyo, ‘pag nawalan nanaman po kami ng hanapbuhay, kawawa po ang aming mga kababayan. Babalik nanaman po kami sa panghihingi nanaman ng bigas,” he added.
Ilagan says Puerto Galera has not been affected by the oil spill. He even invited marine experts to visit their municipality to confirm this.
The potential impact of the oil spill on tourism, which is a significant source of income for coastal communities, has raised concerns among marine experts. The pristine beaches and tourist attractions in the Verde Island Passage (VIP) are particularly vulnerable as the oil spill continues to spread across the strait.
In a recent announcement, marine scientists predicted that the oil spill would reach VIP during the week of March 17 to 26, and they specifically mentioned Puerto Galera, which is renowned for its beaches and dive sites.
“The area also encompasses Puerto Galera, whose white sand beaches are internationally-acclaimed tourist destinations that are another vital source of revenue for local communities,” experts from the UP Diliman College of Science said in a statement.
“Damage from the oil spill may affect biodiversity (including endemic species only found in the Philippines as well as species yet to be discovered), tourism revenues, and food security in the area.”
“We at UP-MSI share the hope of the LGU officials of Oriental Mindoro, from the governor to the mayors, that the oil spill will be contained near the point of source and removed while it is still offshore,” the institute told Rappler in an email.
“The projections of the trajectory of [the] oil slick we released may be used by LGU officials as an early warning for them to prepare and deploy countermeasures to prevent the oil from reaching their shores.”
Netizens blasted Ilagan for blaming the wrong people for the oil spill.
Sakit sa ulo talaga mga pulitiko na ayaw sa evidence-based research. Magagamit sana ito para makapagawa ng maayos na polisiya para matugunan ang problema. https://t.co/FCMiGTl7XR
— Jecon Dreisbach (jecondraysbak.bsky.social) (@jecondraysbak) March 22, 2023
https://twitter.com/MangingisdaSays/status/1638769102608031745?s=20
— JC Punongbayan (@jcpunongbayan) March 22, 2023
Pangalanan natin si Mayor Rocky Ilagan. Nakakahiya naman sa kanya 🙄 https://t.co/mBHJkPmF7l
— gaks #VdMbulok (@psychokenetics) March 23, 2023
The tourism sector is just one of several industries impacted by the sinking of the MT Princess Empress, which was carrying 800,000 liters of industrial oil and sank in Oriental Mindoro almost a month ago.
“It’s not just fisherfolk – these barangays depend on the seas to bring in money for trade, transport, and tourism, and soon, the whole country will feel it too,” said Gerry Arances, executive director of the think tank Center for Energy, Ecology, and Development (CEED) in a March 17 statement.
CEED reported that the tourism industry in Oriental Mindoro produced ₱3.5 billion in revenue in 2019. On March 16, Secretary Christina Frasco of the Department of Tourism (DOT) stated that 61 tourist sites had already been impacted by the oil spill.
