70% oil spill recovered in Bataan —PCG

About 70 percent of oil spill in Mariveles, Bataan has been recovered, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said on Friday.

The PCG received the report about a suspected oil spill on Nov. 5, which affected 500 square meters of coastal waters in Sitio Naswe in Barangay Ipag.

According to PCG spokesperson Commodore Noemie Cayabyab, the agency immediately began oil spill containment. 

It expects operations to be completed on Saturday morning.

“Itong oil na ‘to ay madali pong mag-disperse kasi ito ay non-persistent. So, pwede po siyang mag-evaporate on its natural way,” Cayabyab said on state television PTV’s Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon. 

“Napapansin po natin ngayon sa ongoing na operations natin, ‘yung mga nakikita po sa mga batuhan [na oil] ‘pag nahahampas ng alon ay halos nawawala rin po,” she added.

An investigation is also underway.

Based on the initial investigation, Cayabyab said it was used oil and that it was intentionally dumped in the area.