It may not be of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill magnitude, but still residents of Calatagan, Batangas are wary after learning of the oil spill that hit their locality.

To prevent further spread and destruction to marine life, members of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and a team from Bantay-Dagat are closely monitoring the oil spill at a mangrove area in Barangay Talibayog, Calatagan.

As this developed, authorities are also checking reports of another oil spill in Bacolod City.

The Coast Guard is performing high pressure flushing and applying absorbent pads in the affected areas in coordination with the local government and Bantay-Dagat, the PCG said as it assured residents that they are working double time to prevent it from further spreading in the Calatagan area.

Coast Guard Spokesman Lieutenant Commander Armando Balilo said that the local PCG Station informed the Coast Guard headquarters that the oil spill was reported by a certain Rodrigo de Jesus.

Initial assessment by PCG Marine Environment Protection Group (MEPGRU) showed the oil spill has already affected about 960 square meters of the mangrove.

Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Wilfredo Tamayo immediately dispatched oil-spill response vessels DF-308 and DF-310 from Foreign Berth in the Batangas City Port to conduct oil sampling on board five vessels presently on lay-up at the vicinity of Balayan Bay to determine or pinpoint the source of oil spill and to supervise and clean-up operations.

“As of now, we can’t still determine the origin of the oil spill,” Balilo said.

Lieutenant Senior-Grade Reimond Santos conducted an aerial survey aboard a Coast Guard Islander Plane to determine the real extent of the oil spill.

PCG-NCR District Commander and acting Marine Environmental Protection Command (MEPCOM) chief Luis Tuason Jr. also dispatched oil spill response team and the unit’s science technical unit to further assess the situation.

Environment Secretary Ramon Paje directed DENR-Region 4A (Calabarzon) executive director Nilo Tamoria to investigate the oil spill. (With a report by Ellalyn De Vera)