Environmental advocacy group Protect Verde Island Passage (Protect VIP) has urged government agencies to implement long-term recovery plans for the biodiverse marine corridor.

The group also called on authorities to enforce measures preventing fossil fuel-related pollution as the nation marks the second anniversary of the oil spill that severely impacted the Verde Island Passage.

On Feb. 28, 2023, the oil tanker MT Princess Empress, carrying 900,000 liters of industrial oil, sank off the coast of Naujan, Mindoro. The vessel was owned by RDC Reield Marine Services and chartered by a subsidiary of San Miguel Corporation (SMC).

“It is disheartening to see that one of the largest oil spills in Philippine history seems to be fading from the spotlight just two years later. We have yet to be assured of long-term rehabilitation plans for coastal and marine ecosystems in the Verde Island Passage, as well as for affected communities,” said Father Edwin Gariguez, lead convenor of Protect VIP.

The priest lamented the lack of significant additional protections to prevent similar environmental disasters and fossil fuel-related pollution. “Ignoring these issues will lead to compounding and irreversible harm over time,” he warned.

According to a study by the Center for Energy, Ecology, and Development (CEED), the oil spill caused environmental and socio-economic damages amounting to PHP 41.2 billion. Fisherfolk communities continue to bear the brunt of the disaster, with many reporting persistent impacts on their livelihoods.

Concerns over the Verde Island Passage persist, as the area remains a crucial shipping lane and a hub for fossil fuel developments in the Philippines.

Batangas, which lies along the passage, hosts five operating gas power plants, two liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals, and more than a dozen proposed gas and LNG projects.

The threats to the Verde Island Passage will be among the issues discussed at the 77th Session of the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (CESCR) in Switzerland, where the Philippines is set to undergo a review as a party to the ESCR covenant.