THE massive oil spill caused by the sinking of the MT Princess Empress in Oriental Mindoro according to news accounts has escalated into a national disaster reaching several provinces and municipalities and has in turn affected hundreds of families.

Already the estimates show that the damage to a fragile environment consisting of coral reef habitats exposed to heavy fuel could reach millions of pesos. The ecosystem loss value is still to be determined during the next phase of the damage assessment. The livelihood of the local fisherfolk has been adversely impacted by the continued ban on seafood harvest within the affected area. Most important is the impact on human health arising from exposure to and inhalation of volatile compounds.

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