Environmental disaster
THE national government would do well to invest in technology to minimize the impact of environmental disasters, such as the oil spill in Oriental Mindoro.
And the sad reality is that impoverished Philippines lacks the capability and equipment to address the problems posed by oil spills and other environmental disasters.
That’s why we doff our hat to Prof. Hernando Bacosa for calling on concerned government agencies to invest in technology and ROV (remotely-controlled vehicle).
A scientist, Bacosa is an environmental science professor at the Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT).
Like other well-meaning Filipinos, we cannot overemphasize the importance of having the expertise and wonders of modern technology to respond to environmental disasters.
At present, the government, through concerned offices and agencies, lacks the technological capability to seal the leaking tanks of the sunken MT Princess Empress.
We agree with Professor Bacosa when he said that investing in technology should be a priority of the government given the fact that the Philippines is an archipelagic nation.
In fact, the Philippines is home to some of the world’s most biodiverse marine ecosystems.
At the same time, Bacosa said the Department of Science and Technology has been conducting a study on how to develop local materials that can sequester oil efficiently.
Of course, we are in for more problems if we don’t heed the appeal of Prof. Hernando Bacosa because the oil spill in Oriental Mindoro will not be the last in the country.
Siguradong may mga susunod pang environmental disasters sa bansa na magpapahirap sa atin, lalo na kung walang bansang agarang tutulong sa atin.
