Oil spill reaches Verde Island Passage

Traces of oil spill from the sunken MT Princess Empress had reached Verde Island, a six-village islet in Batangas City, which is at the heart of the Verde Island Passage (VIP) where the world’s most critical marine biodiversity center is found, authorities said on Monday. In an advisory, Fr. Edwin Gariguez, lead convenor of the environmentalist group Protect the Verde Island Passage, said they were ready to assist in containing the spill in VIP after residents reported seeing oil sheen and clumps in waters off four villages of Verde Island