First came the rain. Then the oil spill.

MANILA, Philippines – On Monday morning, July 29, the water turned black.

The waves were huge that morning, said Cheryl Merquita, 33, and they carried a deluge of trash stained with oil. That Monday afternoon, everybody lent a hand in cleaning up the oil. The women wore pink gloves.

The residents of Barangay Amaya 5 in Tanza, Cavite were then still reeling from the effects of the southwest monsoon or habagat, intensified by Typhoon Carina, that dumped heavy rain a day before MT Terranova sank in Bataan.

As a result, some of the houses along the shore had their walls torn off, giving onlookers a cursory glance at the scant furniture inside. The heavy downpour brought down two utility poles. People had to go by without electricity for two days.

Twenty-six houses were washed out in the aftermath of the habagat, said Merquita. As the barangay secretary, she also helped people evacuate when the rain came.

Some food and rice packs were distributed after the first disaster. After the oil spill reached their shores, she said they have yet to receive assistance.

“Sa LGU (local government unit) naman, wala pa po kaming in-expect na ayuda na parating. Sana po mayroon, sana mayroon talaga kasi state of calamity na kami,” Merquita told Rappler on Wednesday, July 31.

(We’re not yet expecting assistance to come. But we hope there will be soon, because we’re already under a state of calamity.)

Out on the water were several small fishing vessels. The day would end soon, but the fishermen would stay out until it’s dark. The fish would sell cheap because of the oil spill even though people were in dire need after a double whammy of disasters. The local government had already imposed, other than declaring a state of calamity, a no-catch zone for all shellfish.

Since early this week, there have been reports of sightings of oil slick in parts of Cavite and Bulacan. Projections show the oil spill may reach other parts of Manila Bay in the coming days.

A similar story unfolds for fisherfolk in Limay, Bataan, considered ground zero of the MT Terranova oil spill.

Michael Bolitres, a fisherfolk leader from Limay, said the area where the tanker sank was their fishing ground. They continue to fish despite the oil spill and the fishing ban, but now they hover nearer the shore, the outskirts of the area where the ship submerged.

“Nagsimula doon sa red tide,” said Bolitres. “Tapos, sumunod, habagat, bagyong Carina. Tapos, ito dumagdag pa itong lumubog na barko na ‘to.”

(It started with the red tide, followed by the habagat, Typhoon Carina. And then the sunken tanker.)

Bataan Governor Jose Enrique Garcia III estimated that 14,000 fisherfolk from nine coastal areas in the province would be affected by the oil spill.

Since the tanker sank, the Philippine Coast Guard has been leading the work to contain the leak from MT Terranova, and assuring the public with regular updates. Now their work includes helping coastal residents clean up as the oil reaches the shores.

The Coast Guard initially claimed the salvage operations could be done quickly. After a week, they are now saying it can’t be rushed as the whole of Manila Bay may be affected if done quickly.

Time and time again, the same question arises after these environmental disasters: Who should pay?

“In the end, people pay the price in the form of a damaged environment and lost livelihoods, while the local government uses taxpayer money and resources to respond to damages caused by the negligence of private companies,” environmental activist group Greenpeace Philippines said on Wednesday, July 31.

Another group, Center for Energy, Ecology and Environment or CEED, said: “As we join the many concerned voices calling for urgent action to stop the spread of the spill, we also ask for an urgent investigation and for justice for affected communities and our marine environment.” 

But it’s the same call every time there’s an oil spill. As the MT Princess Empress oil spill in Oriental Mindoro showed in 2023, it took a long while before fisherfolk received compensation for lost income. (READ: A year after oil spill, Pola fisherfolk yet to receive full compensation) The question is not so much about who should pay, because the shipping company and charterer of the tanker have been identified. Nor is it about their capacity provide immediate financial aid.

“Will they?” is the question to ask, as residents along Manila Bay clean up their shores, wait, and continue fishing despite the smell and taste of oil. – Rappler.com