According to the government official P5 million has been allotted to buy unsold fish and other marine products from the town of Tablas in Romblon after a scare about contamination from the toxic cargo inside the m/v Princess of the Stars, which capsized in nearby waters on June 22 with 850 people onboard. Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap informed that this money will be used in trading funds to absorb the fish products from Tablas. Then these will be turned into processed products like fish balls and fish cakes. But the Health Department has temporarily banned on consumption of fish caught in the area although tests so far have shown no contamination in the water.
According to Yap the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources was expected to finish testing fish samples from Romblon in two days to determine if they are safe for consumption. Health Secretary Francisco Duque III expressed that fish in Metro Manila, which is hauled from Palawan, was safe to eat. Only those from Sibuyan Island and Romblon were covered by the temporary ban.
In the House, Speaker Prospero Nograles opposed government’s decision to buy Romblon fish. He said that the government should punish whoever is responsible for the m/v Princess of the Stars mishap, which now appears to have been caused by negligence and bad judgment.
