DIRTY WATER This photo from an aerial inspection by President Bongbong Marcos and the Philippine Coast Guard on April 15 shows traces of oil in the waters off Oriental Mindoro, more than a month since the fuel tanker MT Princess Empress sank off the coast of Naujan. (PHOTO COURTESY of the Presidential Communications Office)
MANILA, Philippines — Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez said the House of Representatives will secure P200 million in financial assistance for fishermen affected by the Oriental Mindoro oil spill last February.
The fund will come from the Department of Labor and Employment’s Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers program, which will distribute P24,000 to each of the 8,000 fishermen in Oriental Mindoro affected by the spill.
Romualdez, who met with the fishermen, said the assistance will be temporary and alternative livelihood programs will also be developed.
“Panimulang tulong lang ito na sapat sa dalawang buwan. When it comes to panahong ito, it is a good idea to use alternative livelihood programs to prevent oil spills,” Romualdez said in a statement on Wednesday.
(This assistance will be valid for two months. During this time, we will find ways to finance alternative programs for your living expenses while the clenaup is underway.)
The oil tanker arrived on February 28 MT Princess Empress sank, causing an oil spill that affected the Strait of Tablas and the fishing communities in Oriental Mindoro, Antique and Palawan, among others.
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