Speaker mobilizes colleagues to help thousands of fisherfolk affected by oil spill

SPEAKER Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez on Tuesday swiftly mobilized his colleagues to help thousands of fisherfolk in four provinces affected by the recent oil spill in line with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to bring immediate aid to the people affected by calamities.

“Hindi na natin hihintayin na humingi sila ng tulong sa atin. Tayo na ang lalapit sa kanila para alamin kung ano ang tulong na kailangan nila sa atin at sa gobyerno,” he said.

"The livelihood of our fisherfolk is at stake. We must act quickly to mitigate the damage and provide the necessary support," said the leader of the 300-plus members House of Representatives.

He urged his colleagues from Bataan, Pampanga, Bulacan and Cavite to coordinate with the concerned residents to determine the assistance they need and the total number of affected fishermen.

"We will tap all available resources, including the TUPAD and AICS programs, to provide immediate relief and support to our fisherfolk," Romualdez said.

He also asked lawmakers in the affected areas to asses, with the help of local government units, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, the Philippine Coast Guard and other concerned agencies, the damage caused by and extent of the oil spill.

Industrial fuel and diesel are reportedly leaking from two vessels that sank off Bataan and in the Manila Bay area last week. One ship, MT Terra Nova, was carrying 1.4 million liters of industrial oil.

The authorities are trying to contain the oil spill.

Fisherfolk affected include 11,000 in Bulacan, with an estimated combined monthly income of P83 million; 8,000 in Bataan earning P63 million a month, and thousands more in Pampanga and Cavite.

In Cavite, local officials have forewarned residents of at least four towns: “Oil spill alert. Coastal barangays of Ternate, Maragondon, Naic, and parts of Tanza will be affected,”

The Marine Science Institute of the University of the Philippines has warned that the oil spill would travel northwards to Bulacan and affect coastal areas in Cavite. 

The Philippine Space Agency has estimated an area of 93.74 square kilometers covered by oil in Manila Bay.