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A large portion of Subic town in Zambales is now covered in dust from around 50,000 tons of nickel ore dumped there by an Indonesian cargo ship that docked there in August last year.
According to a report aired on "24 Oras" Friday evening, the ship Pax Phoenix was supposed to sail for China when it encountered technical problems.
"Nabasa yung ore because of the rain...so the captain looked for the nearest port and he decided to come to Subic. He asked permission if they could unload the ore so that it could be dried," Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority chairman Robert Garcia explained adding that the ship has a clearance from BOC.
"It's not contraband or anything, so we allowed them to come in, especially [since] the ship was under an emergency situation," he said.
But now that the tons of nickel ore are beginning to dry, people around the port, especially those in nearby resorts are complaining of the thick, reddish dust that covers the area.
"Yun daw kotse nila, puno na ng alikabok. Nirereklamuhan na nila kami," said a woman who works at a resort there. She refused to be identified.
The local government inspected the area Friday and confirmed the presence of nickel ore. "Nickel ore ito, raw materials ng nickel, na may effect sa lungs," said Marife Castillo of Olangapo City Environment Office, adding nickel ore particles can be worse than ordinary dust because it contains minerals that can be hazardous to health.
Environmental group Greenpeace Philippines likewise expressed concern at the presence of nickel ore at SBMA. The group said the substance contains carcinogens that might cause cancers in the lungs, larynx and prostate and can also cause asthma.
Apart from this, Greenpeace also said that if the ore contaminates nearby seawater, it can also affect the growth of algae that supports local fish.
This afternoon, SMBA road was doused with water to contain the dust. The city's Environment office also sent a sample to the Mines and Geosciences Bureau to verify whether the nickel ore really came from Indonesia.
SBMA also confirmed that the operation of the ship was also suspended due to some violations. — Elizabeth Marcelo/JDS, GMA News