The government of South Korea will be sending its Coast Guard (KCG) to assist in the ongoing clean-up efforts in Oriental Mindoro and nearby provinces affected by the massive oil spill from a sunken tanker.

In a Facebook post, the Embassy of Korea in the Philippines said the South Korea government will also be donating Php 11 million worth of gear and equipment.

These include 20 tons of sorbet pads and snares, 1,000 meters of solid flotation curtain boom, and 2,000 sets of personal protective equipment (PPE).

“This is the first time Korea has provided assistance for the prevention of marine pollution, and Korea highly values the importance of restoring areas affected by environmental disasters and accidents,” the Embassy said.

Korea is the third country that dispatched an expert team and provided equipment to assist PCG after Japan and the United States.

The Japan Disaster Relief (JDR) expert team, comprising eight members from the Japan Coast Guard (JCG), the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines, and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) arrived in the country on March 10.

Last Sunday, March 19, the United States Coast Guard (USCG) oil spill response team also arrived.