A member of the University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute helps in the clean up of oil sludge on the coast of the town of Pola, Oriental Mindoro. (Photo:Greenpeace Philippines) Hanoi (VNA) – Themassive oil leak from a tanker that sank off the Philippines' Oriental Mindoro province a monthago has affected at least 63 tourism sites and 1,000 workers in the field, the country's Departmentof Tourism (DOT) reported.
Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco said that affectedtourism spots include those for community-based tourism. She directedthe regional tourism offices to craft a recovery action plan to guide theaffected tourism stakeholders, adding that the government willprovide affected tourism workers with social protection.
She said the department will equip the affected frontlineworkers with “capacity building and skills training programs to prepare andprovide them with alternative sources of livelihood” after the oil spill.
The MT Princess Empress vessel was carrying 800,000 liters ofindustrial oil when it sank off Oriental Mindoro on February 28, causing awidespread oil spill in Oriental Mindoro and the neighboring provinces.
One month after the accident, the clean-up operation continuesin the coastal areas in south Luzon island and central Philippines regions.
The government has collected over 10,000 liters of oil-mixedwater. The incident has affected more than 36,000 families./.
