SEMIRARA ISLAND, Antique — A rapid assessment of impact areas affected by MT Princess Empress oil spill was conducted by the UP Visayas Oil Spill Response Program, starting last 15 Jun and concluding in three months. Led by Dr. Resurreccion B. Sadaba, a team of scientists, researchers, and field assistants were deployed to the areas of Semirara Island, Caluya, Antique, and Mindoro Oriental. The project is made by possible by the collaboration of UPV, Mindoro State University (MSU), and selected government units from the provinces of Mindoro Oriental and Antique. The rapid assessment seeks to determine and minimize the extent of the potential ecological and public health impacts resulting from the oil spill.
The project team is divided into the following clusters:
- Mangroves-Semirara Cluster: Dr. Sadaba
- Seagrasses-Semirara Cluster: Prof. Marie Frances J. Nievales
- Seafood and Environmental Quality Cluster: Prof. Encarnacion Emilia S. Yap
- Rocky Shores Cluster: Dr. Karen Vallarta
- Coral Reefs Cluster: divers Precious Nikola B. Gaurana, Jessa Cortes, Lovely Joy D. Heyres, and research assistant Venus S. Guadalope
- Mangroves-Mindoro Cluster: Dr. Jaesma A. Asinas (MSU)
- Seagrass-Mindoro Cluster: Dr. Katherine P. Sanchez-Escalona (MSU)
- Rocky Shores-Mindoro Cluster: Joan Narzoles Gasang (MSU)
- John Emmanuel Merhan is the Research Assistant for the Seafood and Environmental Quality-Mindoro cluster