Mindoro folk still await compensation 3 years after oil spill
CALAPAN CITY—For communities along the Verde Island Passage (VIP), the memory of the 2023 oil spill that swept through coastal areas remains painfully fresh.
On Feb. 28, exactly three years after the tragedy, residents, fisherfolk and advocates gathered in Pola, Oriental Mindoro—one of the hardest-hit towns—to call for compensation, environmental restoration and permanent protection for the waters that have long sustained their livelihoods. Pola had been declared the “ground zero” of the spill.
Organized by Protect VIP, the Center for Energy, Ecology and Development (CEED) and the local government of Pola, the commemoration highlighted both the ongoing struggles of affected communities and the urgent need for preventive measures to safeguard one of the world’s richest marine biodiversity corridors.
Elusive justice
“Today, we stand not only to remember the devastation that befell the VIP and its communities, but to continue calling for justice that delivers fair compensation to those affected and holds corporations accountable for the damages inflicted upon the marine ecosystem,” Fr. Edwin Gariguez, lead convener of Protect VIP, said in a statement.
Three years after the spill, many fisherfolk are still awaiting compensation.
On Dec. 9, 2025, affected fisherfolk filed a class suit before the Pinamalayan Regional Trial Court, demanding accountability from RDC Reield Marine Services, Inc., owner of the MT Princess Empress; SL Harbor Bulk Terminal Corp., a San Miguel Corp. subsidiary; the insurer The Shipowners’ Club; and the International Oil Pollution Compensation Funds.
“First of all, the catch has not improved even after three years. Fisherfolk still feel the impact very strongly,” said Aldrin Villanueva, president of the fisherfolk group Koalisyon ng mga Mangingisda Apektado ng Oil Spill.
“That’s why, even now, we are still thirsty for justice. Many of us still have not received any compensation,” he added.
A CEED study estimated that the oil spill caused P41.2 billion in environmental and socioeconomic damage, underscoring the long-term impact on communities and the ecosystem.
The spill also exposed structural risks in the VIP, a corridor that sees heavy industrial traffic and ships carrying toxic cargo.
“The 2023 oil spill is a consequence of massive industrialization and concentration of polluting industries in the VIP,” said Gerry Arances, CEED executive director.
Gariguez echoed the call for the protection of the VIP, urging the government to designate the VIP as a protected area under the Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System Act.
Symbol of resilience
Before the program, the Pola local government led a symbolic marathon, “Takbo ng Pagbangon (Run for Recovery),” highlighting the resilience of affected communities.
“The Verde Island Passage must be protected. Not only that, our fisherfolk must also be protected—throughout the Philippines, not just in Pola, not just in Oriental Mindoro,” said Pola Mayor Jennifer Cruz.
The sinking of the oil tanker MT Princess Empress off the coast of Oriental Mindoro on February 28, 2023, released 800,000 liters of oil, causing a massive spill across the VIP—a 1.14-million-hectare marine ecosystem spanning the coastlines of Batangas, Romblon, Marinduque, Occidental Mindoro and Oriental Mindoro provinces.
The VIP separates Mindoro Island from Luzon. One of the Philippines’ richest fishing grounds, it is home to hundreds of species of fish, sea turtles, mangroves, seagrasses, nudibranchs and corals—some of which are extremely rare.
The spill also caused extensive livelihood losses and was considered the first major marine environmental crisis under the Marcos administration.
