ABOUT 173,000 individuals or 36,700 families have been affected by the oil spill in Oriental Mindoro, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Center (NDRRMC) reported on Sunday.

The NDRRMC said the biggest number of affected residents were from the Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan) Region with 138,043. Western Visayas followed with 27,145, and Calabarzon (Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Quezon and Rizal) with 7,740.

The oil that had leaked from the sunken tanker Princess Empress also caused injuries to 206 persons.

Damage to agriculture was estimated at P3,850,500. The oil has also affected the livelihood of 13,654 farmers and fisherfolk.

Four provinces, 14 municipalities and 163 barangay have felt the impact of the oil spill.

Assistance provided to stricken communities has reached P136.5 million.

The MT Princess Empress sank off Naujan town, Oriental Mindoro, on February 28. It was carrying a cargo of 800,000 liters of industrial fuel oil.

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said it has so far collected 8,163 liters of oily water during offshore cleanup operations.

For its shoreline cleanup, the PCG said it has collected 154 sacks of oil-contaminated materials as of Saturday.

Since March 1, the PGC has gathered 3,155 sacks and 22 drums of waste in 13 barangay in Naujan, Bulalacao, and Pola, Oriental Mindoro.

Calapan City has placed 23 coastal villages under a state of calamity because of the oil slick, Mayor Malou Morillo said in a post on her social media page on Saturday.

The declaration of a state of calamity was contained in a city council resolution passed on Wednesday, Morillo said.

The declaration will enable the city to effectively respond to the economic and ecological effects of the disaster.

The resolution identified the coastal villages as Balite, Calero, Canubing 1, Gutad, Ibaba East, Ibaba West, Lazareto, Mahal na Pangalan, Maidlang, Masipit, Nag-Iba 1, Nag-Iba 2, Navotas, Pachoca, Parang, Salong, San Antonio, Silonay, Suqui, Tawagan, Tibag and Wawa.

The city has 62 barangay and is about 69 kilometers from Naujan.

Green City of Calapan Program Director Orlando Maliwanag said in a message on Saturday that patches of oil were seen floating in the waters of the villages of Navotas, Suqui, Harka Piloto in Barangay Lazareto and Maidlang. Harka Piloto is a Marine Protected Area.

City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officer Dennis Escosoro said on Sunday the slick in Lazareto and Maidlang had been contained.