MANILA: The Philippine Coast Guard has swiftly taken action to deploy floating barriers and initiate cleanup efforts to prevent an oil spill from reaching Manila. The spill originated from the MT Terra Nova, a 65-meter (213 feet) vessel that capsized on Thursday amid heavy monsoon rains affecting large parts of the country.

Authorities are urgently working to contain the spill from the MT Terra Nova, which had a cargo tank holding approximately 1.5 million liters of industrial fuel. Officials have identified that the leak is coming from the ship's engine, not its cargo tank. Despite this, there are concerns that the spill, which now extends over several kilometers, could become the worst in the nation's history if not contained.

Coast guard personnel have been seen using buckets to siphon oil from the contaminated waters, as shown in videos released by the coast guard. However, officials are bracing for a potentially severe situation. Rear Admiral Armand Balilo, the coast guard spokesman, emphasized, "We are preparing for the worst."

The affected area is a popular fishing zone, raising fears about the potential impact on both the fishing industry and marine life. "We are talking about industrial fuel here... It will definitely affect the marine environment and could even reach us here in Manila," Rear Adm Balilo explained.

Hernando Bacosa, an environmental sciences expert at Mindanao State University, highlighted the gravity of the situation. He noted that the volume of oil carried by the MT Terra Nova necessitates the highest level of oil spill alert in the country. "Manila Bay is home to the Port of Manila, the largest port in the Philippines and the hub of trade and economic activity. This could potentially paralyze the capital and neighboring areas," Bacosa stated.

Initial assessments suggest that it will take a week to drain the oil from the ship, which capsized in waters 34 meters (111 feet) deep. Bacosa mentioned that the relatively shallow depth could facilitate the oil cleanup process. He compared this incident to last year's oil spill when an oil tanker sank off another Philippine province at a depth of nearly 400 meters (1,312 feet), making the cleanup effort significantly more challenging.

The previous incident involved the MT Princess Empress, which was transporting 800,000 liters of industrial fuel oil. The spill from that tanker led to beaches being coated in black sludge.

As efforts continue, the Philippine Coast Guard remains focused on preventing the oil spill from causing further environmental and economic damage.

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