Experts and coast guards from other countries will meet with officials of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Monday (March 13) to discuss how to assist the country in addressing the oil spill in Oriental Mindoro, said to be the biggest in recent years and threatening to affect 20,000 hectares of coral reefs and 9,900 hectares of mangroves. PCG Commandant Admiral Artemio Abu said a team from Japan arrived Friday, while Manila has already sent a formal request for help to the United States as it struggles to contain and clean up the oil spill almost two weeks after M/T Princess Empress, which was carrying 800,000 liters of industrial fuel oil, sank off the coast of Naujan on Feb. 28.

Cruz, M. V. (2023, March 12). Int'l experts to aid in cleanup. Manila Standard, p. A1.