Puerto Galera is not yet affected by the oil spill from the sunken oil tanker in Oriental Mindoro, the local government of Puerto Galera has announced.
In a statement issued on Saturday, Puetro Galera Mayor Rocky Ilagan cited the recent report issued by the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) which stated that "Puetro Galera is not included in the areas affected by the oil spill."
He also cited the statement of Department of Health (DOH) officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire who said they are not considering imposing a swimming ban in the Municipality as the "tests conducted are not yet conclusive."
"At present, the local government unit of Puerto Galera deems it prudent to maintain the status quo and to wait for the official position of the Department of Health, the DENR [Department of Environment and Natural Resources], and the interagency task force in order to verify the current data regarding the oil and to coordinate the proper measure to be taken regarding the incident," Ilagan said.
According to the Puerto Galera Municipal Mayor, any "hasty and premature reaction from the LGU" can adversely affect his constituent's general welfare.
In the latest disaster report of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) released on Monday, a total of 37,871 families or 178,306 individuals in Calabarzon, Mimaropa, and Western Visayas were affected by the oil spill incident.
The cost of damages and losses to agriculture has reached ₱263,556,100.
