By: Nino Aclan

“THE Senate inquiry on the massive oil spill caused by the ill-fated M/T Terranova will push through on August 13.”

This was announced by Senate Majority Floor Leader Francis ‘Tol’ Tolentino on Wednesday morning, August 7. 

To recall, it was the senator who filed last week Senate Resolution No. (SRN) 1084, which directs the Senate Committee on Environment, Natural Resources, and Climate Change to probe the cause of the oil spill that occured on July 27.

Further, Tolentino’s resolution will seek updates on how the sea disaster has severely affected the livelihoods of 46,000 fisherfolk in Bataan, Cavite, Metro Manila, and nearby areas, as well as marine biodiversity and food security.

“We need to set up stricter mechanisms to prevent such incidents, and to improve our capability to immediately respond to contain, clean up, and mitigate the impact of this toxic substance on the fishing sector and the environment,” stressed the senator, citing similar occurrences in Pola, Oriental Mindoro in 2023, and the island-province of Guimaras in 2006.

Currently, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) is is being assisted by the United States Coast Guard and the Washington-based National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to help contain the oil spill, according to Tolentino, who also chairs the Senate Special Committee on PH Maritime & Admiralty Zones.

In his radio program, ‘Usapang Tol,’ Tolentino was informed by Department of Agriculture (DA) Assistant Secretary Arnel De Mesa that the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) has started to extend fuel subsidies to affected fisherfolk. 

In response, Tolentino asked the DA to work with other agencies to assist another affected sector – namely, fish vendors who are also reeling from lower catch resulting from the oil spill and the subsequent fishing bans.

“We must not forget the fish vendors. The government must also reach out to them, because we have interviewed sellers in public markets who said that many stalls selling fish have now been closed,” the senator told De Mesa 

“We will be coordinating with the DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development) and DTI (Department of Trade Industry) to assist fish vendors, because it is true that they cannot sell anything if there is no fish,” De Mesa assured Tolentino.