The oil spill from the capsized oil tanker in Oriental Mindoro has reached the coastal waters in Barangay Casian, Taytay in Palawan, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported on Friday.
In its latest update, PCG said the spill is estimated 159 nautical miles or 295 kilometers far from Naujan, Oriental Mindoro where the MV Princess Empress carrying 800,000 liters of industrial fuel oil sank.
It said that Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office (MSWDO) Barangay Captain Norbert Lim first reported the oil spill and PCG personnel immediately took action.
Meanwhile, in another development, the oil experts from Japan, who will assist in the ongoing oil clean-up drive, have arrived at the National Headquarters in Port Area, Manila on Friday afternoon.
According to PCG, the Japan Disaster Relief (JDR) Expert Team is composed of eight members.
Of these, five are from the Japan Coast Guard (JCG), two from the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines, and one from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). They will be headed by Daisuke Nihei, Minister of Economic Affairs of the Embassy of Japan.
PCG earlier reported that the oil spill has spread to as far as Antique province in Visayas.
President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. has ordered the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to quicken the oil spill clean-up in the waters of Oriental Mindoro.
Marcos also said that he expects that the clean-up operations will be finished in less than four months.
