The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said more than a dozen of locally-managed marine protected areas can be affected by the oil spill incident in Oriental Mindoro.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the DENR said the area affected by the oil spill from motor tanker (MT) Princess Empress which sank in the waters off Oriental Mindoro on Tuesday reached about "six kilometers long and four kilometers wide".

"A DENR - Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB) report states that on a maximum of 40-kilometer radius from five nautical miles east of Balingawan Port, 21 locally-managed marine protected areas (LMMPAs) can be potentially affected due to oil spillage," it stated.

"It has mapped potential risk areas including seagrass beds, mangroves, and dispersion pathways for spawned fish larvae," the DENR added.

Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Ma. Antonia Loyzaga expressed the agency's full support and assistance to Oriental Mindoro Governor Humerlito Dolor, and Naujan Mayor Henry Joel Teves, and the other local governments affected by the oil spill incident.

Loyzaga said DENR has coordinated with experts in the private sector to immediately address the emergency situation and create a mid to long-term risk management strategy for the affected areas.

"Marine scientists have already been contacted to help in the response. I will be on site tomorrow to determine the extent of the spillage and how we can actually help the towns of Oriental Mindoro better. We want to extend personally and professionally the DENR's full support in cooperation with all those that have been affected," she said. Robina Asido/DMS