Some 1,000 tourism workers and 63 tourist spots have already been affected by oil spill off Naujan, Oriental Mindoro, even as the Department of Tourism (DOT) clarified that Puerto Galera is still unaffected and safe to visit. Know more:
SOME 1,000 tourism workers and 63 tourist spots have already been affected by oil spill off Naujan, Oriental Mindoro, even as the Department of Tourism clarified that Puerto Galera is still unaffected and safe to visit.
The oil spill, which has reportedly reached some portions of the Verde Island Passage , a global center of marine biodiversity, occurred following the sinking of oil tanker MT Princess Empress. The tanker carried an estimated 800,000 liters of oil and was only recently found by a Japan-led search team.
In a press briefing last week, Puerto Galera Mayor Rocky Ilagan confirmed that many tourists had already canceled their resort bookings on the mistaken notion that the oil spill had already reached the municipality, popular for its white beach and dive sites. According to a report by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council on March 22, 2023, the following cities and municipalities have been confirmed as affected by the oil spill: Batangas City; Naujan, Pola, Pinamalayan, Bansud, Bongabong, Roxas, Mansalay, Gloria, Bulalacao, and Calapan in Oriental Mindoro; Agutaya and Taytay in Palawan; and Caluya in Antique.