The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) announced that remote operated vehicles (ROVs) tasked with mitigating oil leaks from the submerged MT Princess Empress off Oriental Mindoro have completed their underwater operations. ROV Hakuyo, deployed by the Japanese Dynamic Positioning Vessel Shin Nichi Maru, and ROV MR2 Hydros, deployed by DPV Pacific Valkyrie, conducted successful bagging operations to contain oil spills in eight of the remaining 11 leak sources. However, one remaining valve did not get capped because of obstructions that could compromise ROV operations. The source of the spill must be permanently addressed to avoid damaging the environment further, and offshore and shoreline clean-up and assessment will continue with partner agencies. The motor tanker MT Princess Empress sank on February 28, carrying 900,000 liters of industrial fuel. Several countries, including the US, Japan, South Korea, and France, have provided aid to the Philippines to contain the oil spill. The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources reported that 22 fishing days incurred losses of P441.25 million due to the spill.
