Philippines: The Japan Coast Guard’s Emergency Assistance Unit has arrived on the scene to address the deleterious effects of the oil spill.

Minister Nihei Nihei (left) and Deputy Director-General of PCG Gavin hold a press conference after a courtesy call on May 10 in Manila, Tokyo. (Mainichi/Tomoaki Takeshita)A Japanese emergency relief team (Japan Disaster Relief Team) arrived in the capital city of Manila on the 10th to support the response to the oil spill accident caused by the sinking of a cargo ship off the coast of Mindoro Oriental. Japan was the first country to dispatch a support team from overseas to help with the disaster. The dispatched personnel consisted of five people from the Japan Coast Guard, including three “mobile rescue teams” that deal with maritime disasters such as oil spills and leaks of dangerous and hazardous substances, and one person from the headquarters of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). Two representatives from the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines and the JICA Philippines Office will join the delegation, and Daisuke Nihei, Economic Minister of the Embassy, ​​will serve as the leader of the delegation.
A delegation led by Nihei entered the scene on the 11th. Members dispatched from Japan are scheduled to stay in the Philippines until the 21st. At the same time, the Japanese government, in coordination with the Philippine government, will supply adsorbents, high-viscosity oil capture agents, and oil-proof work gloves necessary for oil control.
The sunken cargo ship Princess Empress had an oil capacity of 800,000 liters. On the other hand, when the tanker sank off the coast of Guimaras Island (2006), which was the largest oil spill in the history of the Philippines, the amount of spilled was 500,000 liters, and the possibility of one of the largest oil spills in history cannot be ruled out. An estimated 65,000 coastal residents have already been affected by the accident.
Around 3:30 pm on the same day, the delegation paid a courtesy visit to the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) headquarters in Nankang, Manila, and met with senior PCG officials including Deputy Commissioner Ronnie Hill Gavan.
At a press conference, Deputy Secretary Gavan said, “JICA’s assistance to PCG has been continuing for about 20 years, and PCG has a strong relationship with Japan. Coordination is being carried out for the dispatch of a support group from South Korea, but Japan It was the fastest,” he said, expressing his gratitude.
On top of that, “PCG is working with a team of 2,000 people. The sunken ship has sunk deeper than 300 meters, and it is beyond our technical capabilities to deal with it. We expect Japan to support this part.” said.
Commander Nihei said, “I will do whatever I can to protect the coastal residents and the environment of the Philippines. This time, an elite mobile rescue team from the Japan Coast Guard has arrived, and we will use their knowledge to respond to the accident together with the Philippine authorities.” rice field. At the end of his speech, he said in Filipino, “Japan will continue to provide unwavering support.”
Asked by the Manira Shimbun whether there is a possibility of supplying large-scale oil prevention equipment or dispatching a patrol boat, Nihei replied, “We are still at the stage of grasping the current situation. We will determine if it is necessary and consider the next support,” he said, expressing his intention to provide further support based on the investigation by the delegation this time.
Taro Ono, an officer for international marine pollution countermeasures dispatched by the Japan Coast Guard, commented on this activity, “We will work with the Philippine authorities to ascertain the current situation, such as confirming whether the work plan of the PCG is appropriate. I would like to give advice and guidance on the conversion of (Tomoaki Takeshita)