Oil spill compensation to be released in April

The compensation for the damage incurred from the oil spill from a sunken tanker last year is scheduled to be distributed to the claimants in April, the office of the governor here said on Tuesday.

In a post on his social media page, Gov. Humerlito Dolor said that the International Oil Pollution Compensation (IOPC) Funds has set the schedule for the release of the monetary indemnification on April 15, 2024.

Those who have been partially compensated when representatives from the IOPC visited the town of Pola during the anniversary of the oil spill on February 28 will receive the full amount next month.

Dolor said in his post that qualified claimants who did not get provisional payment on February 28 will receive the full amount starting April 15.

He also said that claimants who have not submitted the requirements can go to the office of the IOPC at the Ground Floor ABBJ Building, Gamboa St., Barangay Sto. Niño, Calapan City.

The governor, however, did not specify the amount of compensation the beneficiaries will receive.

In a telephone interview on Tuesday, Pola Mayor Jennifer “Ina Alegre” Cruz told Times that around 5,000 claimants from her town have yet to complete the documentary requirements asked by the IOPC.

“Until now, we are still waiting for the IOPC to talk to our affected residents and discuss the documentary requirements,” the mayor said.

“We are also still validating the veracity of the claimants so as to avoid false claims. We are validating on our database persons who have submitted documents for the claims and comparing this to the existing registered fishermen in our town,” Cruz added.

The provincial government, through the Department of Justice, has filed charges against RDC Reield Marine Services, the operator and owner of the MT Princess Empress, Philippine Coast Guard members and MARINA (Maritime Industry Authority) officials on Feb. 14, 2024.

On February 28, MT Princess Empress, while en route to Iloilo and carrying 900,000 liters of industrial fuel oil from Bataan, sank off the waters of Naujan, Oriental Mindoro as it encountered rough sea conditions.

The oil spill affected the livelihood of the residents living in the coastal villages in Oriental Mindoro, Batangas, and Antique.