CALAPAN CITY: The Department of Tourism (DOT) announced that Oriental Mindoro is ready to welcome tourists, following a quick recovery from an oil spill crisis earlier this year.
According to a new release by the Philippines News Agency, Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco stated that the province is experiencing a "resurgence of tourism" as it formally concludes its alternative livelihood training program for over 1,000 tourism workers. These workers had temporarily lost their jobs due to the sinking of MT Princess Empress off Naujan on February 28.
Oriental Mindoro Governor Humerlito Dolor reported that the affected destinations reopened as early as May 2023, just three months after the incident. He added that water quality tests from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Philippine Coast Guard have confirmed the area is safe.
To further boost tourism in the area, the DOT is planning to open its Tourist Rest Area (TRA) in Bongabong by 2024. The agency will also install a hyperbaric chamber and promote Puerto Galera's position as one of the country’s prime dive locations.
The over 1,000 workers who benefited from DOT’s alternative livelihood program are from nine coastal towns that were severely affected by the February spill. These towns include Naujan, Pola, Gloria, Pinamalayan, San Teodoro, Bulalacao, Roxas, Mansalay, and Calapan City. The workers received training in various skills such as urban farming, beadworks and lei making, kulinarya training, and basic haircutting under DOT’s Bayanihan sa Bukas na May Pag-asa sa Turismo (BBMT) Alternative Livelihood Training program.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has ensured ongoing collaboration between the national and local governments to expedite the province’s recovery, Frasco said.
The oil spill, caused by the sinking of MT Princess Empress, had released some 800,000 liters of bunker oil and led to the cancellation of aquatic activities, impacting tourism workers. The crisis drew international support, including from the United States, South Korea, France, and Japan, who provided experts and equipment to contain the spill.