Environment Secretary Lito  Atienza on Thursday ordered all environment department personnel in and around Romblon to keep a close watch on any oil spill that may occur off Sibuyan Sea where the MV Princess of the Stars and other marine vessels met tragedies at the height of Typhoon Frank on Saturday.

Atienza issued the directive even as the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has surrounded the disaster area with boom skimmers to contain the oil that would come out from the capsized vessel.

Atienza also directed all officials of the department in the affected areas to coordinate with local officials to be on highest level of alert to be able to contain any oil spill.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is expected to use the oil-containment scheme, which was effectively used during the oil spill in Guimaras, Iloilo.

“We have a sound experience in dealing with oil spill. With the help of the PCG and local residents, we are optimistic that we could prevent any serious environmental damage caused by a possible oil spill,” Atienza said.

Reports said that oil has been spotted in some areas in the disaster area but experts said these are mostly oil sheens. Oil sheen is a thin layer of processed oil that quickly evaporates.

“You must be vigilant and ready to get into action at the first sign of an oil spill. We cannot afford additional environmental damages at this time when the world is racing against time to heal the earth from various environmental damages, among which is global warming,” Atienza said.

In the light of President Arroyo’s issuance of Proclamation 1535, declaring the third week of June as Typhoon and Flood Awareness Week, Atienza said the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) is fast-tracking the geohazard mapping, particularly of the eastern seaboard of the country which is often battered by typhoons.

“We are already 80-percent complete and we hope to cover the whole of the eastern seaboard next year,” Atienza said.  Areas yet to be covered by MGB’s geohazard mapping include Isabela and Cagayan in Cagayan valley region, Masbate in the Bicol region, and Samar island in Eastern Visayas.

Atienza stressed that one important component of the geohazard mapping program of the DENR is the conduct of information, education and communication activities to educate local government officials down to barangay officials and communities on the proper use of geohazard maps in order to mitigate the impacts of geologic hazards, as well as prevent the loss of lives and properties.

Geohazard maps provide not only potential areas of landslides, flooding, liquefaction, subsidence and other ground instabilities, but also possible areas for relocation.

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Environment Secretary Lito  Atienza on Thursday ordered all environment department personnel in and around Romblon to keep a close watch on any oil spill that may occur off Sibuyan Sea where the MV Princess of the Stars and other marine vessels met tragedies at the height of Typhoon Frank on Saturday.

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