Fishers still seeking compensation 2 years after Mindoro oil spill
LUCENA CITY—Two years after the catastrophic oil spill in the waters off Naujan town in Oriental Mindoro province, affected fishermen have yet to receive full compensation, and the government has failed to rehabilitate and provide adequate protection for the fragile Verde Island Passage (VIP), according to an environmentalist group.
Catholic priest Fr. Edwin Gariguez, lead convenor of Protect VIP, said in a statement Thursday that “justice remains elusive for fisherfolk whose lives and livelihoods have suffered over the past two years due to the oil spill—and likely will for years to come.”
He said the several thousand pesos received by some affected fishers “may indeed serve as a reprieve, but it is not enough to cover the full extent of the damage, including lingering economic and ecological burdens caused by the oil spill.”
he added as he called on the International Oil Pollution Compensation (IOPC) fund and those responsible for the tragedy “to give the affected fisherfolk the compensation they deserve.”
However, he did not specify the amount of compensation they were demanding for the affected fishers or the estimated cost of rehabilitating the damaged marine resources.
According to a study by the advocacy group Center for Energy, Ecology, and Development (CEED), the oil spill caused P41.2 billion in environmental and socio-economic damage.
On Feb. 28, 2023, the cargo vessel MT Princess Empress sank in the waters off Naujan while carrying approximately 800,000 liters of industrial fuel.
By the end of March that year, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported having collected 13,383 liters of oily water mixture and 139 sacks of oil-contaminated materials collected during its offshore oil spill response operations..
For its shoreline response, the PCG said it collected 3,937.5 sacks and 22 drums of waste in 13 affected coastal villages in Oriental Mindoro’s town of Naujan, Bulalacao, and Pola from March 1 to March 29.
Continuing crisis
The sinking of the vessel, owned by RDC Reield Marine Services Inc. and chartered by a subsidiary of San Miguel Corporation (SMC), was the first major marine environmental crisis under the Marcos administration, caused a massive oil 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 passage separates Mindoro Island from Luzon.
One of the Philippines’ richest fishing grounds, the VIP is home to hundreds of species of fish, sea turtles, mangroves, seagrasses, nudibranchs, and corals—some of which are described as extremely rare.
In 2023, the VIP was designated a “Hope Spot” by the international marine conservation nonprofit organization Mission Blue, which recognized the strait as critical to the health of the global ocean.
Conservation International (CI) has also described the Verde Island Passage as “the backbone of the local economy,” relying on coastal tourism, fisheries, and maritime trade.
Threatened
However, CI expressed concern that the VIP is increasingly threatened by illegal and destructive fishing practices, pollution, unsustainable land use, and irresponsible tourism.
More than 2 million people from five provinces rely on the VIP for their livelihoods. The area is also a busy shipping corridor.
Aldrin Villanueva, president of the affected fisherfolk group Koalisyon ng mga Mangingisda Apektado ng Oil Spill, said many affected fishermen have not received any compensation.
“Even if some have received compensation, it is not enough and was just used to pay off debts,” Villanueva lamented.
He explained the assistance the fishers received was “insufficient to cover the period we lost our income.”
“Even though the oil spill happened two years ago, our catch still hasn’t returned to normal. We fisherfolk continue to feel the impact of the oil spill, so we are hoping to finally receive just compensation,” Villanueva added.
Independent studies by CEED in 2024 revealed that oil spill-affected marine protected areas (MPAs) within the VIP failed to meet the water quality guidelines set by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) for oil and grease.
“In the absence of holistic and sustained rehabilitation programs, and with no new stringent measures to restrict threats of marine pollution in the VIP, it is reasonable to be concerned that affected MPAs could still be hosting alarming levels of oil and grease and remain vulnerable to other pollutants,” said Ivan Andres, CEED’s deputy head of research and policy.
He noted that MPAs host the highest concentration of marine species and serve as critical breeding grounds for aquatic organisms.
“The lingering effects of the oil spill may continue to threaten marine life and jeopardize the ecological integrity of the VIP,” Andres warned.
