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Puerto Galera, nearby areas fail 4 water quality tests after Mindoro oil spill: governor

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Katrina Domingo, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="The Philippine Coast Guard deploy an oil spill boom and skimmer with manual scooping around the suspected area of the sunken MT Princess Empress approximately 7.1 nautical miles northeast of the shorelines of Balingawan Port, Lucta Port, and Buloc Bay in Oriental Mindoro on March 14, 2023. Photo courtesy of Malayan Towage and Salvage Corporation/Philippine Coast Guard" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/news/04/15/20230315-mindoro-oil-spill-coast-guard-ho-4.jpg"/><figcaption>The Philippine Coast Guard deploy an oil spill boom and skimmer with manual scooping around the suspected area of the sunken MT Princess Empress approximately 7.1 nautical miles northeast of the shorelines of Balingawan Port, Lucta Port, and Buloc Bay in Oriental Mindoro on March 14, 2023. <em>Photo courtesy of Malayan Towage and Salvage Corporation/Philippine Coast Guard</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>POLA, Oriental Mindoro — Oriental Mindoro Governor Bonz Dolor on Saturday said Puerto Galera and nearby areas failed 4 consecutive water quality tests, deeming the popular tourist destination unsafe for swimming and other water activities.</p><p>“As far as water quality is concerned, salt water, from Puerto Galera to Bulalacao, bagsak,” Dolor told reporters here.</p><p>“Lumabas kagabi ang pinakahuling resulta, ang Puerto Galera ay bagsak na ang water quality for 4 consecutive tests. Ibig sabihin, prior to Holy Week, may findings na nabagsak ito on the level of oil or grease,” he added.</p><p>Dolor said the local government of Puerto Galera earlier objected against the declaration of the state of calamity in the island.</p><p>“There was an objection on their part before for the declaration of state of calamity sa Puerto so ang aking decision,” he said, without elaboration why.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/14/23/mindoro-reeling-from-impact-of-massive-oil-spill">Oriental Mindoro reeling from impact of massive oil spill</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/04/13/23/over-178k-people-affected-by-mindoro-oil-spill-dswd">Mindoro oil spill: DSWD says over 178,000 affected by disaster</a></li></ul><p>When asked if local officials in Puerto Galera could be held liable for allowing tourists and residents to swim in their waters despite knowing that there are traces of grease, the Governor said: “I refuse to comment on that.”</p><p>Dolor said he would wait for the official position of the Department of Health and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources before imposing a ban on swimming and water activities in the area.</p><p>“I’ll wait for the official declaration of the DOH and the DENR para naman mas matibay yung announcement,” he said.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/04/01/23/turismo-sa-oriental-mindoro-apektado-ng-oil-spill">Higit P800-M tinatayang mawawala sa kita sa turismo sa Oriental Mindoro dahil sa oil spill</a></li></ul><p>Meantime, the quality of drinking water in 14 barangays in Pola town and another barangay in Naujan town also failed quality tests, Dolor said.</p><p>Air quality tests are okay, he said.</p><p>Despite the bad quality of surrounding waters, Puerto Galera will remain open to tourists, the governor said.</p><p>“Ang tourism naman natin ay hindi lang dagat. People can still go there but only for the meantime, considering na there is poor quality on the water as far as grease and quality is concerned, we are advising the public to take caution,” he said.</p><p>“Yung mga ilog ng Oriental Mindoro, during the holidays, nadiscover nila na ang dami palang ilong ng Oriental Mindoro na magaganda na alternative.”</p><p>The oil spill in Mindoro began in late February after the MV Princess Empress sank off the coast of Oriental Mindoro.</p><p>The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources earlier said that damage and losses due to the oil spill is nearing the P1-billion mark.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/04/14/23/langis-mula-sa-lumubog-na-tanker-posibleng-tumatagas-pa-rin">Langis mula sa lumubog na tanker, posibleng tumatagas pa rin</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/04/15/23/damage-cost-losses-due-to-oil-spill-in-mindoro-near-p1-b">Damage cost, losses due to oil spill in Mindoro near P1-B: BFAR</a></li></ul><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO: </strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Wz8jji_hpr8?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>

The quality of drinking water in 14 barangays in Pola town and another barangay in Naujan town also failed quality tests.

Puerto Galera, nearby areas fail 4 water quality tests after Mindoro oil spill: governor

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Puerto Galera, nearby areas fail 4 water quality tests after Mindoro oil spill: governor

Katrina Domingo,

ABS-CBN News

Published Apr 15, 2023 01:57 PM PHT

Read More:

Oriental Mindoro

Governor Bonz Dolor

water quality

Puerto Galera

tourist destination

swimming

water activities

oil spill

Department of Health

Department of Environment and Natural Resources

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