The Philippines Braces for Major Oil Spill After Shipwreck

The Philippine Coast Guard has initiated efforts to deploy floating barriers and commence cleanup operations following an oil spill, aiming to prevent the contamination from reaching Manila.

The urgent response follows the capsizing of the 65-meter-long MT Terra Nova on Thursday amid heavy monsoon rains that swept across the country.

Officials reported that the spill originates from the ship’s engine, rather than its cargo tanks, which contain approximately 1.5 million liters of industrial fuel.

Concerns are mounting that, unless contained, this spill—which extends over several kilometers—could become the most severe in the nation’s history.

Coast guard videos depict personnel using buckets to siphon oil from the affected waters.

Nevertheless, officials are preparing for the worst, according to coast guard spokesman Rear Admiral Armand Balilo.

The region, known for its fishing activities, faces potential threats to both the fishing industry and marine ecosystems.

Rear Adm Balilo highlighted the significant environmental risk, stating, “We are dealing with industrial fuel… It will certainly impact the marine environment and could potentially reach Manila.”

Hernando Bacosa, an environmental sciences expert at Mindanao State University, informed the BBC that the volume of oil aboard the MT Terra Nova justifies the issuance of the country’s highest oil spill alert.

“Manila Bay is home to the Port of Manila, the largest port in the Philippines and a hub of trade and economic activity. This spill could potentially cripple the capital and surrounding areas,” Bacosa explained.

Initial assessments by Rear Adm Balilo suggest that it might take a week to remove the oil from the vessel, which sank in waters about 34 meters deep.

However, Bacosa noted that the relatively shallow depth could facilitate the oil removal process, unlike a previous incident last year when an oil tanker sank off another Philippine province at a depth of almost 400 meters, complicating the cleanup efforts.

In that case, the MT Princess Empress, carrying 800,000 liters of industrial fuel oil, caused extensive beach pollution with black sludge.

The response by the coast guard was delayed due to monsoon rains exacerbated by Typhoon Gaemi, leading to widespread flooding in Metro Manila and its suburbs.

The storm has since weakened after moving across Taiwan’s mountainous region and making landfall in southeastern China’s Fujian province.

During the typhoon, the MT Terra Nova was one of two ships that sank in the area, with the other going down near Taiwan’s southwestern coast.

En route to Iloilo in central Philippines, the MT Terra Nova had 17 crew members on board. While one person died, 16 others were rescued, officials reported. An investigation is underway to determine if bad weather was a contributing factor.

Despite meeting regulatory requirements for heavy weather travel, the Philippine-flagged MT Terra Nova encountered severe challenges. According to tracking provider VesselFinder, it was sailing at 0.1 nautical miles per hour toward Iloilo.

Rear Adm Balilo mentioned that no storm warnings were in effect when the vessel departed.

He added that crew members secured the ship’s doors before abandoning it. “They encountered very strong waves, and the captain decided to return to shore. However, navigating against the waves proved difficult. The ship took on water and eventually capsized,” he said.

Advocacy group Oceana has urged the Philippine government to evaluate the environmental impact of the spill and hold accountable all parties responsible for failing to prevent the disaster, including both government agencies and the tanker’s private owners.

Image credit: Sri lanka Mirror