The oil leaking out of the St. Thomas of Aquinas, the passenger ferry that sank Friday evening off Talisay City after colliding with a cargo vessel, has reached five barangays (villages) of Cordova town. In a press release, Dr. Isabelo Montejo, regional executive director of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources Region VII, said the spill had affected the seawaters off the Cordova barangays of Gabi, Catarman and Day-as and was headed toward barangays Buagsong and Basbas. The DENR’s Environmental Management Bureau in Central Visayas collected water samples from four sites in the accident area for oil and grease tests.

Asutilla, C. (2013, August 20). Oil spill reaches barangays. Philippine Daily Inquirer, p. A2.