Cease the spill

Jea Chadery D. Rojo

Oil spills in the waters of Oriental Mindoro affect nearly 173,000 people, including their
incomes, especially those working in marine areas, as reported by inquirer.netphilippines. A lot
of people in Oriental Mindoro are affected by the issue of the oil spill that happened last March
2023, especially the residents of the municipality of Pola, Oriental Mindoro, where the oil spill
from the sunken tanker of the Princess Empress ship happened. Marine areas, the income of
marine workers, the prices of marine resources, tourism, and even the health of residents are
greatly affected by this issue. Communities in Oriental Mindoro immediately implement
protocols regarding the safety and needs of residents as well as the community.

Fishermen lost employment for weeks because of the spill. According to Philstar Global,
about 400 million pesos of income were lost due to the fishing ban. Fishing ban is implemented
in Oriental Mindoro due to the oil spill from the sunken Princess Empress ship. Each fisherman
is losing a total of around 19 million pesos each day because of the oil spill, as stated by BFAR
spokesperson Nazario Briguera. Each fisherman has a family to support and feed. How can they
surpass each day when their income is unstable because of unemployment due to the oil spill?
They are struggling to live each day, finding food to eat, money to spend for needs, and even
water to use. Water sources in Oriental Mindoro are being inspected by the authorities for the
safety of residents, specifically the residents of Pola, Oriental Mindoro.

As the fishermen lost their employment, it is clear that our marine system is also in
great damage. Not only the unemployment of fishermen but also the supply of marine
resources like fish, shrimp, and other seafood decreased, and at the same time, the prices of
these seafoods increased due to the lack of supply from coastal waters. As the marine areas are
filled with oil spills, the marine economies of municipalities in Oriental Mindoro, particularly in
the Municipality of Pola, are in danger. Business owners of marine resources and tourist spots
in Oriental Mindoro are struggling to thrive by making money to survive each day of their lives.
Beaches, water parks (seaside), and commercial fisheries are closed because of the oil spill.
 Not only the economy's loss and unemployment are the effects of this oil spill. Every
resident whose life is affected by this situation is in danger, particularly with their health. Oil
consists of different toxic compounds that affect human health. Oil spills can cause severe
health problems like heart damage, difficulty breathing, and even death. According to the
Municipality Mayor of Pola, Mayor Jennifer Cruz, they appealed to the Department of
Education and the Commission of Higher Education to provide alternative ways to continue
learning for students who are affected by the oil spill. "Kailangan bigyan natin sila ng alternative
na pagaaralan para Hindi sila maiwan at mahuli sa ibang kaklase nila. Syempre baka pagpasok
nila I-bully sila Ng kaklase nila dahil Hindi alam Ang pinagaaralan sa school," the mayor said.
Other schools from Oriental Mindoro conducted a project called "boom spill" to help stop the
spread of oil spills to the coastal areas. Managpi National High School also donated plastic
bottles as one of the materials for the project "boom spill".

Truly, this oil spill causes much damage to the lives of many in Oriental Mindoro. Not
only to the lives of everyone but also to the state of the environment, economy, employment,
and community. Governor Humerlito Dolor of Oriental Mindoro stated that the municipality of
Pola should be under a state of calamity as the oil spill has caused a lot of damage to the
livelihood of residents, mostly fishermen. This situation may be tragic for every resident who is
affected, but this may give us a lesson to protect and be careful with our actions because this
might affect a lot, just like what happened with the oil spill. It is awful to see that a lot of people
are struggling to live due to this situation. People should be aware that it is hard to deal with
the setbacks of nature. Probably most people do not know that we can stop the oil spill by
doing just a simple step. One of the alternative ways that we can do to stop the oil spill is by
planting water hyacinths. It is said from bioresources.education that the water hyacinths can
absorb crude oil and can be a remedial option in the mitigation of crude oil pollution in aquatic
ecosystems. Human hair is also considered as oil adsorbent as per Science Direct. Hair has been
scientifically proven to treat oil waste thanks to its porousness as well as oil's natural affinity to
it. “Hair is adsorbent not absorbent,” according to the San Francisco-based organization Matter
of Trust, which has been making oil cleanup booms from hair, pet fur, and fleece since 2000.
 By this we can do actions of help to the community in saving our marine system and
environment. This action to care is important, but words alone cannot heal the wounded
economy and community. Help one another in taking care of everything we have received for a
better life in the present and beyond.