The Department of Health (DOH) said that more than a hundred residents fell ill due to the oil spill from the sunken motor tanker in Oriental Mindoro.
DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said during a press briefing that among the 122 cases logged, the majority of them experienced headaches and respiratory-related symptoms like cough and colds.
“Marami din pong nahihilo, 16. Meron pong mga sumakit ang tiyan, merong nahirapan huminga, 10. Merong nagkaroon ng skin rashes, around seven. At meron pong lima na na-aggravate—-dahil nga na-inhale nila—-na-aggravate ang kanilang asthma,” she added.
Vergeire noted that the symptoms of most of these cases have already recovered.
However, one patient was admitted because of an aggravated asthma, but was also released the next day.
“So ngayon po, mina-manage natin ‘yung mga sintomas na nararamdaman nila and of course, what would be most important would be, ma-prevent natin further ‘yung mga sintomas na mangyayari sa ating komunidad,” Vergeire said.
On February 28, the MT Princess Empress sank while carrying 800,000 liters of industrial fuel. The oil spill has also reached the provinces of Antique and Palawan.
— Ronald Espartinez