Arab News Japan

TOKYO: Japan on Tuesday announced the dispatch of a Japan Disaster Relief (JDR) Expert Team to the Philippines to help with oil removal and control in response to an oil spill disaster caused by a small tanker that capsized and submerged off the coast of Mindoro Island.

The MT Princess Empress capsized approximately 20 kilometers east of Mindoro Island on February 28 and its cargo fuel and diesel oil have leaked into the waters in the area. 

The coastal region has banned fishing and has observed oil sludge reaching the shores of fishing villages and mangrove forests, with the damage affecting the living environment of approximately 65,000 residents in the area.   

While the Philippine Coast Guard is principally leading the response to try and remove and control the oil, the government of the Philippines asked Japan to dispatch experts who can supervise the activities.   

Japan said it made the decision to dispatch the JDR Expert Team to the Philippines on humanitarian grounds and for marine environment conservation. 

The Expert Team includes staff from the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines, the Japan Coast Guard and the Japan International Cooperation Agency.