Ipinahayag ng Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) nitong Lunes, Abril 10, na nagtutulungan na sila ng Department of Science and Technology (DOST) sa pag-imbestiga sa oil spill sa Oriental Mindoro.
Sa Facebook post ng PCG, nangyari ang nasabing kolaborasyon matapos hilingin ni Marine Environmental Protection Commander CG Vice Admiral Robert Patrimonio si DOST Secretary Renato Solidum Jr. na tulungan ang PCG sa nasabing imbestigasyon.
Kinilala ng DOST-National Research Council of the Philippines (NRCP) si Dr. Hernando Bacosa bilang lead expert sa imbestigasyon ng oil spill sa ilalim ng NRCP Expert Engagement Program.
Ayon sa PCG, si Dr. Bacosa ay isang environmental science professor sa Mindanao State University-lligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT) at ang Campus Head ng Mindanao State University-Main Campus Extension sa Bataraza, Palawan. Siya rin umano ay miyembro ng DOST-NRCP sa ilalim ng Biological Science Division at nahingan ng tulong dahil sa pagiging eksperto niya sa oil chemistry at fingerprinting analysis.
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“The PCG-DOST collaboration aims to improve investigation through laboratory analysis in oil biomarker fingerprinting through the DOST-Industrial Technology Development Institute and confirm the suspected source of oil that reached the coastlines of Oriental Mindoro, Antique, and Palawan,” anang PCG.
Nagsagawa na rin umano ang PCG at DOST ng oil sampling sa offshore at shoreline operations para malaman ang oil weathering characteristics nito.
“The oil samples were collected from the offshore spill area, coastal communities affected, and the SL Harbor Bulk Terminal tank in Limay, Bataan, where the vessel acquired its Industrial Fuel Oil (IFO),” saad ng PCG.
“The collected samples are used to identify the specific bacteria present in the environment, culture local superior oil-degrading bacteria, and monitor the fate of oil to provide clues for future oil spill events under Philippine conditions,” dagdag nito.
Samantala, hingi umano ni Dr. Bacosa ang tulong ng MSU sa pagkuha ng appropriate tests at paghahanap ng proper methods (i.e. American Society for Testing and Materials method and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry) para sa waterborne oil samples at oil residues na maaaring magamit bilang confirmatory evidence tinatanggap sa korte at sumusunod sa pamantayang tinatanggap maging sa ibang bansa.
“Incident Management Team-Oriental Mindoro Commander, CG Commodore Geronimo Tuvilla, thanked DOST and Dr. Bacosa for providing technical advice on science matters, aside from the partnership with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) experts,” saad ng PCG.
Nakapagbigay na rin umano ang Marine Environmental Protection Command ng PCG ng oil samples sa mga laboratoryo sa bansang Japan at France para sa oil fingerprinting noong Abril 10.
Nagsimula ang nasabing oil spill matapos lumubog ang MT Princess Empress, na may kargang 800,000 litro ng industrial fuel oil, sa Naujan, Oriental Mindoro noong Pebrero 28.
