Civil society groups and fisherfolk representatives on Tuesday asked the government to prohibit all tankers carrying toxic cargo from passing through the Verde Island Passage (VIP), the strait separating Mindoro and Batangas, to protect its critical biodiversity. The call was made as the House committees on ecology and on natural resources jointly held a hearing on Tuesday in relation to the oil spill caused by the Feb. 28 sinking of the fuel tanker MT Princess Empress off Oriental Mindoro.

Virola, M. T. (2023, May 10). Keep toxic cargo off VIP, group ask gov't. Philippine Daily Inquirer, p. A8.