Karamihan sa mga pamilyang naapektuhan ng oil spill ang napilitang ihinto sa pag aaral ang kanilang mga anak dahil sa kawalan ng hanapbuhay, ayon sa isang environmental group.
Ayon kay Gerry Arances, executive director ng Center for Ecology, Energy and Development, patuloy parin ang pagkalat ng langis mula sa MT Princess Empress simula nang lumubog ito noong Pebrero 28.
“Aside from damage amounting to billions of pesos and loss of income, the oil spill’s largest impact is the loss of livelihood for small fishers,” wika ni Arances na sinabing nasa 80 porsyento ng mga apektadong residente ay mga mangingisda.
“A significant number of affected residents are fisherfolks numbering more than 20,000. The distribution of food packs and cash-for-work is not enough to sustain the needs of the families. Many parents have complained that their children have stopped going to school because they can no longer support their studies. Many of them are in college and this is a sad reality,” dagdag nito.
Ayon kay Arances, nakakaalarma ang naturang oil spill sapagkat nasa 20 porsyento pa lamang ng tumagas na langis ang nasa ibabaw ng karagatan.
“As the leak continues, the effect is expected to worsen. Based on science, only 20 percent of the oil is on the surface and 80 percent is underneath, meaning the problem of rehabilitation is huge,” ani Arances.
Magpahanggang ngayon, nananitili parin sa ilalim ng dagat ang lumubog na oil tanker.
