President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Thursday extended PhP65,197,500 in financial assistance and various government aid to 8,693 fisherfolk and their families in Navotas City who were affected by the oil spill from the three motor tankers that sank off the coast of Bataan.
In his speech, President Marcos increased the financial assistance from the initial PhP5,000 to PhP7,500 for each of the beneficiaries.
The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), on the other hand, has provided livelihood interventions such as post-harvest materials, capacity-building, and replacement of nets for mussel culture, KADIWA, and fuel subsidies.
The BFAR also distributed 50 sets of bottom-set gill nets and two units of fish processing utensils.
The Office of Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez of the House of Representatives also distributed ten kilograms of rice to each of the beneficiaries in Navotas.
President Marcos said the assistance distributed to oil spill-hit residents symbolizes the government’s support and its affirmation and assurance of the welfare of the Filipino people, particularly in times of need.
“Ang tulong na ating ipapamahagi ngayon ay hindi lamang simbolo ng suporta, kundi ng ating [paninindigan] na hindi natin pababayaan ang ating mga kababayan, lalo na sa panahon ng pangangailangan,” President Marcos said.
Valves from the sunken motor tanker Terranova were already sealed, while the containment of oil leakage has so far been successful. Over 1.38 million liters of oil were collected from the vessel between August 19 and September 10.
As of Sept. 6, 1.22 million liters of oil had already been transported to a waste management facility in Marilao, Bulacan, for proper disposal.
Meanwhile, the contracted salvor for the sunken motor tanker Jason Bradley has already mobilized its pumps and started the installation of siphoning pipes as of Sept. 10, 2024.
The pumps and siphoning pipes will be refloated and transported to a shipyard in Mariveles, Bataan, on Saturday, while no oil sheen was observed near the sunken vessel.
The Mirola, one of the three oil tanker vessels that also sank last July, was moored at a shipyard in Barangay Alas-asin in Mariveles.
An ongoing investigation is being conducted into the sinking of the three vessels. | PND
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