Japan is sending an eight-man team of experts to help the Philippines control and remove an oil slick that is quickly evolving into an ecological disaster.
The Japanese Embassy in Manila on Thursday said the Japan Disaster Relief (JDR) expert team leaves Tokyo tomorrow, Friday for Oriental Mindoro where the team will help manage a disaster that has ruined mangrove forests, made fishing impossible and ruined the livelihood of some 65,000 residents in the area.
“On March 8, the Government of Japan decided to dispatch to the Philippine Government the Japan Disaster Relief (JDR) Expert Team who will give advisory on oil removal and control in response to the oil spill disaster caused by a small tanker, which capsized and submerged off the coast of Mindoro Island,” the Japanese Embassy said in a statement sent to Context.ph.
“While the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), which received support for capacity enhancement from the Japan Coast Guard, is principally leading response activities of oil removal and control, the Philippine Government has made a request to the Government of Japan to dispatch experts who can supervise the activities.
The expert team, consisting of personnel from the Embassy of Japan in Manila, the Japan Coast Guard, and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will assist in the conduct of the disaster survey as well as supervise and provide counsel to the ongoing oil removal and control activities, the Japan embassy said.
