Improvised booms are being laid along the shores of this
town along Manila Bay,
close toward a tanker capsized last week.
It's been leaking 5 1/2 thousand liters of diesel.
Local authorities say oil has reached the beach and is
already affecting fishing.
We worried the oil spill will worsen and cause pollution
here.
It will also make children sick.
But the Philippine Coast Guard says the biggest threat to
this community,
the Mt Jason Bradley, is already being handled.
With fuel drainage operations ready to begin,
however, another tanker that went down just off the coast
of the neighboring town is a major concern.
Authorities had hoped to start siphoning off the empty Terra
Nova's 1.5 million litres of industrial fuel this week to
prevent what has the potential to become the Philippines worst
oil spill. But now they say that won't happen for
at least another two weeks.
The latest plan entails manufacturing cost of metal caps.
To replace backs that have been collecting oil leaking from
the tankers bulbs.
But 8 coastal towns have already declared a state of
emergency and people in the province of battalion where the
Coast Guard has responded to a third smaller oil spill
are on edge. I would like it to be a
little faster because you know,
as time as day goes by,
the effects of it not just on on the environment.
Is also increasing the plus the effects of it on
our constituents or our residents here in Baton?
Away from the sea at the markets,
fish vendors and even fruit and vegetable sellers say they're
feeling the impact.
People are afraid to buy fish,
even ones that are not caught from the sea.
We haven't been making much for days now.
People go to the market to buy everything.
So because they're afraid to buy fish here,
no one's buying our fruits either.
Well, there's no disagreement about the importance of containing the
spill as soon as possible.
The Coast Guard says it shouldn't be at the expense
of what could be an even bigger catastrophe.
Barnaby Below. Al Jazeera, Limai,
Pata and the Philippines.