The Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) has confirmed that the oil spill caused by the sinking of MT Princes Empress in Oriental Mindoro has reached Palawan’s island of Coron. The satellite image by PhilSA shows that the oil slick, located approximately 6.5 nautical miles east of Coron, measures approximately 33 nautical miles in length and 2.5 nautical miles in width, covering an area of approximately 61.27 square kilometers. Coron’s Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office head Engr. Fernando Lopez stated that they will monitor and assess the waters off Coron to contain the damage, and the possible banning of water-related activities will depend on Tuesday’s results. Coron was expecting more tourists to arrive during the Holy Week break this year, as restrictions have been imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic for the previous three years. Last year, 100,828 tourists visited Coron.
