Panayam kay Professor Dr. Hernando Bacosa ng MSU-Iligan/ DOST Lead Expert on oil spill patungkol sa epekto sa oil spill Bataan at ang mga paraan para mapigilan ang pagkalat na ito
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00:00The effect of oil spills on youth and the ways to stop it from spreading,
00:07let's find out together with Dr. Hernando Bacosa,
00:11Professor at MSU Iligan and Department of Science and Technology,
00:16Lead Expert on Oil Spill.
00:18Dr. Bacosa, good afternoon.
00:22Good afternoon, Ms. Weng and Ms. Nina,
00:26and to our listeners from all over the country.
00:30Okay. Thank you for being here, Professor,
00:33because Prof. Mindanao is from Mindanao.
00:35That's right.
00:36And he's here because something happened to this oil spill.
00:41I'm very excited to talk to an expert.
00:44We have a lot of questions about oil spills.
00:47Can you explain to us first
00:50what is the effect of oil spills on our oceans
00:55and how serious is this incident,
00:59especially when the damage is spreading?
01:03So here's the thing.
01:04Maybe our listeners are still aware of what happened in Mindoro last year.
01:08Yes.
01:09The person you're serving is the Lead Expert of DOST,
01:12National Research Council of the Philippines at that time.
01:16So I was very much involved in the response and then in the assessment that happened.
01:20So when it comes to oil spill,
01:22usually for us, because we are archipelagos,
01:25the displacement of boats, ships, and tankers is a part of our lives.
01:32We are people of the sea and that is a part of our economy.
01:35So when there's an oil spill, it spreads.
01:39It depends on the depth.
01:40Mindoro is 400 meters deep.
01:43So it's difficult.
01:45It's difficult to seal, it's difficult to control,
01:49it's difficult to pull.
01:51But the oil spill is only 30 meters deep.
01:54Okay.
01:54So we have the capacity for a diver to come and see what's there and it can be sealed.
02:02So when it comes out, Mindoro has 900,000 liters of oil.
02:09And it almost came out.
02:11900,000?
02:11900,000 liters.
02:13Not 1.4 million?
02:141.4 liters is the oil spill.
02:18I'm talking about the Mindoro.
02:19The Mindoro?
02:20Yeah, that's right.
02:21The oil spill is more than 1.4 million liters.
02:24But based on the reports that we heard from our fellow countrymen,
02:30the tanks were sealed.
02:32It's in the tanks that Harbor Star Shipping,
02:36it's a private company that was commissioned by our government
02:41to seal and respond to it.
02:44So yesterday and the day before yesterday,
02:46they sealed the leaking valves.
02:48Okay.
02:49That's why the leaking is very minimal now.
02:52There are oil coming out at first.
02:54That's the diesel oil that runs the ship.
02:57That's the one that comes out.
02:58Ah, the one that runs the ship.
02:59But in those tanks,
03:01from what I saw in the video that Coast Guard released,
03:04that came from the tanks' valves.
03:07So not all of that 1.5 million liters came out.
03:11I think less than...
03:13Maybe less than 100,000.
03:15We don't know.
03:16The ones that leaked.
03:17But only a few.
03:18Very minimal.
03:19And here, if I can see the leaks,
03:21there are oil residues in Bulacan,
03:25in Cavite.
03:26There are in Manila Bay, right?
03:27There are in Manila Bay.
03:28So this is very minor.
03:32It's just a few compared to Mindoro
03:34where all of the 900,000 liters came out.
03:37So I just want to point out, sir,
03:38because we're very worried
03:40because this is...
03:41We're talking about almost double
03:43when Kerry was in Mindoro,
03:46which was a state of calamity for how many months?
03:51Yes.
03:51So you're now saying that...
03:55The advantage, quote-unquote,
03:58is that it's more shallow.
03:59It's more shallow?
04:01It's more distant.
04:0130 meters compared to 400 meters in Mindoro.
04:04400 meters, yes.
04:0630 meters, I think the divers reached.
04:09It was sealed.
04:10The leak was sealed.
04:11It's easier to seal.
04:12And I don't know if you'll start siphoning,
04:15the siphoning of the oil
04:17so that it can be removed.
04:18And it's like the ship is about to sink again.
04:21So it's like now it's under control.
04:24But still, the ship is still there.
04:26Until the oil is removed there,
04:28there is still a threat to our environment.
04:31It should be removed.
04:32All the oil should be siphoned.
04:34So that...
04:35In Mindoro, was everything removed?
04:37In Mindoro, everything was removed.
04:41You really didn't...
04:44The tank was opened and removed.
04:46You can't siphon it because it's too deep.
04:49It's too deep.
04:50I see, okay.
04:51Sir, from the hundreds of thousands
04:54or millions of liters of industrial fuel
04:56that was loaded or loaded by MT Terra Nova,
05:00if it can't be stopped from leaking,
05:02what are the expected damages
05:04that this could cause in coastal areas?
05:07First of all,
05:08if that 1.5 liters
05:12of oil
05:141.5 million liters of oil
05:16is released into our ocean,
05:19that's in Tier 3,
05:21the highest oil spill response in the Philippines.
05:24And of course, that has a huge impact
05:27on our environment,
05:28on our economy,
05:29on our livelihood,
05:30and on our health.
05:32First of all, when oil is released,
05:34of course, our oceans will be affected.
05:37It can kill phytoplankton.
05:39Phytoplankton,
05:40zooplankton,
05:41shrimp,
05:43fish.
05:44Of course, second,
05:45fishing ban.
05:47If there's a fishing ban,
05:48the fishermen will have no livelihood,
05:50no food,
05:51no income.
05:52It will affect the vendors
05:54and the tricycle drivers.
05:55If the oil that we bring to the beach is spilled,
06:00it will smell.
06:00It will affect our breathing,
06:02our lungs.
06:04And of course,
06:05if there's oil on the beach,
06:09it's comfortable to swim and go there.
06:14And of course,
06:15if that 1.5 is really full,
06:17because it can cover Manila Bay
06:20if it's not full.
06:21So usually in the US,
06:24if it's like that,
06:25transportation is prohibited,
06:26ships.
06:27But now,
06:28in this situation,
06:30I'm confident that
06:33it's under control,
06:34but still there's a threat.
06:35And hopefully,
06:36in the next 7 to 10 days,
06:38the oil will be siphoned.
06:41It won't last long like in Mindoro
06:43before it's cleared.
06:44Because you said,
06:45Mindoro is really deep.
06:47How deep is this?
06:48It's only 30 meters
06:49from where the ship sank.
06:53And the valves are still sealed.
06:56So what do you think?
06:57How many days?
07:00Or will it be cleared?
07:01What the Coast Guard said is
07:037 to 10 days
07:04when it starts.
07:04Because they're still doing
07:07the sealing
07:09before it's siphoned.
07:11Before it's siphoned.
07:12Because in Mindoro,
07:14that's 400 meters,
07:15we can't even siphon it.
07:17We could not even seal or siphon
07:19the special vessel from Singapore.
07:21Actually,
07:23it was opened,
07:23the oil was spilled,
07:25because it can't be siphoned.
07:27Why does the oil need to be opened
07:29and spilled?
07:30Why wasn't it allowed inside?
07:32Because if we allow it,
07:34it will leak from the bottom.
07:36And when the time comes,
07:39the container will be crushed
07:41and the oil will come out.
07:43So you really need to remove the oil
07:46before the container is destroyed
07:48and it spreads
07:49and comes out of our surroundings.
07:51Okay, at least you gave us a picture
07:53or a scenario.
07:54It would be the worst-case scenario
07:56if 1.4 million liters of oil comes out.
08:00That would be the worst.
08:01That would be the biggest oil spill
08:03in the country.
08:04Ever.
08:04If that happens,
08:06hopefully not.
08:08But since the prognosis is good,
08:10what you're saying now, Doc,
08:13that the reaction is good,
08:15can you explain to us even further
08:17about the innovations of DOSC?
08:21How do you seal?
08:23What do you put there?
08:24How do you actually siphon?
08:26As far as I know,
08:30Harbor Star Shipping Services
08:32that we commissioned by the Coast Guard,
08:34they do this.
08:35Usually, these are also plastic materials
08:39that you seal.
08:41Because there are valves, right?
08:42Okay.
08:43That's where it gets stuck.
08:46But in DOSC,
08:47under the leadership of
08:49Secretary Ernesto Ludium Jr.,
08:51DOSC, through Pag-asa,
08:54provides information
08:55on how to model the trajectory.
08:58The direction of the oil changes, right?
09:00Like you said,
09:01it goes to Bulacan,
09:02then it goes to Manila.
09:04The wind changes again.
09:05It gets stuck again.
09:08So Pag-asa helps with that
09:10to predict the direction of the oil
09:13because of the direction of the wind
09:15and the dispersion of the oil.
09:16And in DOSC,
09:17this NRCP,
09:19I was also tapped
09:21in the National Expert Engagement Program
09:24to explain the science of oil spill
09:28because this is also a very complicated science.
09:32And of course,
09:32in DOSC,
09:33we have quick response projects
09:36that can study and broaden
09:38the analysis of oil spill
09:40because as long as we're here,
09:42as long as we're sailing,
09:43the oil spill will come to us.
09:45Right now,
09:46it's only been a year and it's already there again.
09:48We don't know when it will come next
09:50because now,
09:51with the climate change,
09:52there are many storms,
09:54there are many typhoons,
09:55so it's possible that anytime
09:57the ship will sink
09:59and the oil spill will happen again.
10:01Can you explain this to our fellow Filipinos
10:03because there are others
10:04who are doing this with their own efforts.
10:06They are the ones who came to the shoreline
10:09or the fishermen themselves
10:11because this is also dangerous.
10:13You can't be the only one, right?
10:15They are collecting it.
10:16Yes, because the oil,
10:18of course,
10:20yes, the sorbents can be used.
10:22There are local sorbents
10:24that are like ropes, right?
10:25They tie the ropes
10:27because the oil gets stuck there
10:29so that it doesn't really
10:30get to the shoreline.
10:32But we should be careful.
10:34If we get oil,
10:35we should wear gloves
10:37because if it gets in contact with our skin,
10:39it can get in.
10:40And of course,
10:41the fresh oil
10:43is volatile
10:45and we can get infected
10:46and it will cause a stroke.
10:48Those are the precautions
10:50that we should remember.
10:52But with technology,
10:54I think we still need to develop
10:56materials that are locally made
10:58that are made in the Philippines
10:59that we can use
11:01when oil spills occur.
11:03Speaking of that, sir,
11:05UP Marine Science Institute
11:07has already conducted
11:09water sampling
11:11in the areas of Pasay, Cavite,
11:13Bulacan, and Bataan.
11:15So would you know, sir,
11:17what are the properties of this oil
11:19so that you can address
11:21what kind of material
11:23to use to fight
11:25what kind of oil
11:27can affect the health
11:29of those affected?
11:31I don't know what parameters
11:33UP Marine Science Institute will get.
11:35But for sure,
11:37they will analyze how much
11:39concentration of oil
11:41is in a critical or toxic level.
11:43And in our part,
11:45we also analyze
11:47what is the composition
11:49of the oil.
11:51Because oil is composed
11:53of hundreds to one thousand hydrocarbons.
11:55And each one of them has a
11:57toxicity and health effects.
11:59So you're saying that
12:01it can be used as fertilizer,
12:03as plastic in the oil spill boom,
12:05because we've covered that before
12:07in Rosario.
12:09Yes.
12:11This is industrial fuel oil.
12:13What is industrial fuel oil?
12:15Gasoline is a type of oil.
12:17Then you have diesel oil,
12:19right?
12:21Then you have engine oil.
12:23This is industrial fuel oil.
12:25It's very thick.
12:27Gasoline is like water.
12:29It's the lightest.
12:31When you foam it,
12:33it's very thin.
12:35But industrial fuel oil,
12:37which is very thick,
12:39has a limitation.
12:41It can't absorb everything
12:43because it's very heavy.
12:45So that's what our tankers
12:47usually transport.
12:49What about Mindoro Industrial Oil?
12:51It's the same.
12:53It's the thickest.
12:55Sometimes,
12:57when you look at the oil spill,
12:59it looks like asphalt.
13:01Some of them are rusting.
13:03Some of them are dissolving in water.
13:05And in Manila Bay,
13:07I think there are a lot of bacteria
13:09that eat oil.
13:11It also helps
13:13to reduce the oil spill
13:15that comes to our oil spill.
13:17What are these bacteria?
13:19Can we cultivate these bacteria?
13:21Yes, we can cultivate them.
13:23That's my expertise.
13:25That's what I studied in America
13:27and Japan.
13:29The bacteria that eat oil.
13:31What I can tell you is that
13:33when there's flooding,
13:35there are a lot of nutrients.
13:37There are a lot of organic matter.
13:39Bacteria become happy.
13:41For them to grow,
13:43they also need nutrients.
13:45That's why,
13:47when there's flooding in Manila Bay
13:49and there's a spill,
13:51I'm thinking that the flood
13:53helps the bacteria in Manila Bay
13:55to degrade this oil.
13:57There's not a lot of oil
13:59that goes to the basin.
14:01So, because of the nutrients
14:03that are disposed in Manila Bay,
14:05it helps the bacteria
14:07to become active
14:09and eat the oil.
14:11So, when will you do that?
14:13Will you cultivate them
14:15or not?
14:17One of our research is
14:19disaster quick response
14:21of DOST.
14:23That's one of the opportunities
14:25that we can have that super degrader
14:27or super bag to eat
14:29pollutants in case of spill like this.
14:31But we cannot use it yet.
14:33We cannot use it yet.
14:35Because it's still being made?
14:37It's still being made.
14:39So, you're using coco-flex?
14:41Yes, coco-flex.
14:43We still need to improve technology
14:45because there are limitations
14:47because there are different types of oil.
14:49Different patients, different expertise.
14:51So, the science of oil spill
14:53is a bit complex.
14:55But I think oil spill will be
14:57very uncertain.
14:59It's like a storm.
15:01You just need to be ready anytime.
15:03Especially now with the climate change
15:05and a stronger storm,
15:07we might have more oil spill
15:09in the future.
15:11But we have to be ready
15:13in terms of our response
15:15and technology.
15:17Sir, please say a few words
15:19to our viewers.
15:21Good afternoon
15:23to all of us.
15:25Oil spill is
15:27a threat to our environment
15:29and to our economy.
15:31I hope
15:35we are alert
15:37and we are ready
15:39to face it.
15:41The DOST,
15:43led by our Secretary,
15:45is very supportive
15:47of our effort
15:49to develop technologies
15:51for response.
15:53The DOST is supporting
15:55science-based and data-driven
15:57solutions to the problems
15:59that confront our nation,
16:01including oil spill
16:03and pollution.
16:05Thank you very much.
16:07Thank you very much,
16:09Mr. Queng,
16:11and Ma'am Nina.