House Representative Gerville “Jinky Bitrics” Luistro (Batangas, 2nd District) on Tuesday called for a “bayanihan” to address the worsening effect of the oil spill from the sunken MT Princess Empress that has started to affect all the towns in the second district of Batangas.

“It is time for us to unite in bayanihan and be aggressive in containing and cleaning up the oil spill. I am sure the people in our district as well as the rest of Batangas, the islands of Mindoro, Romblon and nearby provinces, would volunteer and work to save the Verde Island Passage,” the lady solon said.

In doing so, Luistro suggested to tap the resources of the Department of Labor and Employment – Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (DOLE – TUPAD), Department of Social Work and Development Assistance for Individuals in Crisis Situations (DSWD – AICS), among other government funds for this purpose.

Luistro, who authored House Bill No. 6089, which seeks to declare the Verde Island Passage (VIP) as an ecotourism zone, feared that contamination of this so called “most diverse marine ecosystem on Earth” is so imminent and something aggressive to clean up the approaching oil spill has to be done.

Already affected in Batangas are the towns of Mabini, Bauan, Lobo, San Luis, San Pascual and Tingloy — all municipalities in the 2nd district of the province represented by Luistro. It has already reached Oriental Mindoro and is now threatening the Verde Island Passage.

Marine experts and conservationists refer to the Verde Island Passage as the “center of the marine shore fish biodiversity”. It is in the heart of the Coral Triangle, which is located in the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Timor-Leste. In it are 500 species of reef-building corals and one-third of all coral-reef fish species in the world. The Verde Island Passage is the most diverse marine ecosystem on earth.

According to Luistro, the Verde Island Passage is not just a must-see destination for local and foreign tourists, especially for divers and marine enthusiasts as it is rich in marine life. It is likewise the main source of livelihood and fish catch of local and commercial fishermen, she added.

“After the Covid 19 pandemic, which closed our hotels, resorts and tourist destinations, resulting in the loss of thousands of jobs and livelihood, now comes the oil spill. We need everyone’s help to clean up and contain this oil spill. We need to preserve this wealth of marine resources, highly diverse coral reefs, pristine waters, mangrove forests, seagrass meadows and coastal environs in the Verde Island Passage,” said Luistro, who is also the vice chairperson of the House Committee on Tourism. (PNA) 

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