An NGCP submarine cable leaked 2000 liters of mineral oil off Tabango, Leyte. Fishers ...

2,000 liters of mineral oil leaked from an NGCP submarine power cable into the sea off Tabango, Leyte, and five days later Coast Guard teams were still scraping oily waste off the shoreline. The leak came from Submarine Cable No. 7 of the Leyte-Cebu 230-kilovolt interconnection, which runs under the sea between Tabango and Daanbantayan, Cebu. NGCP, the company that operates the national transmission grid, said the leak was detected at 3 p.m. on November 4, roughly five meters offshore from its Cable Terminal Station in Barangay Tugas during low tide. What leaked, and where The cable uses mineral oil as insulation. NGCP estimated that around 2,000 liters escaped into coastal waters. The company said its personnel traced the source at 3 a.m. on November 5, which let response teams concentrate on the damaged section. Item Detail Owner National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) Asset Submarine Cable No. 7, Leyte-Cebu 230-kilovolt interconnection Location Barangay Tugas, Tabango, Leyte Detected 3 p.m. on November 4, 2026 Estimated leak 2,000 liters of mineral oil Contained by PCG 1,500 to 2,000 liters Shoreline waste 250 kilograms, plus 50 kilograms recovered on November 9 Status NGCP investigation ongoing; no cause announced What the Coast Guard recovered The Philippine Coast Guard’s Eastern Visayas district contained an estimated 1,500 to 2,000 liters of oil using spill booms and absorbent materials. Teams from Coast Guard Station Western Leyte, the Ormoc and Villaba sub-stations, and the Maritime Environmental Protection Unit responded. Crews also collected 250 kilograms of oil-contaminated waste from the shoreline in Barangay Tugas. The Maritime Environmental Protection Unit-Western Leyte recovered another 50 kilograms on Monday, November 9, using absorbent pads near the NGCP cable terminal station. The Coast Guard said the recovered material was segregated and stored in designated containers for disposal under environmental rules. (Photo: Philippine Coast Guard Eastern Visayas via INQUIRER.net) Fishers want NGCP to pay The Green Party of the Philippines’ Leyte chapter said NGCP should answer for the damage and for the possible loss of income among coastal residents, especially fisherfolk. “That is highly condemnable in the strongest possible terms. The NGCP should be penalized and must pay damages to the affected fisherfolk communities,” the group said in a statement on Monday. NGCP says it is still investigating NGCP said it deployed personnel, set up containment and absorbent materials, and sought the Coast Guard’s help. In a statement to the Inquirer, the company said it is investigating what caused the leak and has not announced a finding. The Leyte-Cebu line is part of the transmission backbone that moves power between the Visayas islands. Neither NGCP nor the Coast Guard mentioned any interruption to transmission service in their statements. The bigger picture At least one other oil spill was reported in the past week. On November 7, the Coast Guard recovered 25 liters of used oil that washed up in Mariveles, Bataan , and had not identified who dumped it at the time. NGCP itself has been in the news over ownership. Maharlika Investment Corp. backed out of a P19.7-billion stake in Synergy Grid, the listed company that holds a stake in NGCP, in late October. Cleanup in Tabango is expected to continue until the remaining residue is removed from the shoreline and the rocks where the oil has collected in shallow pools at low tide.

The leak came from Submarine Cable No. 7 of the Leyte-Cebu 230-kilovolt interconnection, which runs under the sea between Tabango and Daanbantayan, Cebu. NGCP, the company that operates the national transmission grid, said the leak was detected at 3 p.m. on November 4, roughly five meters offshore from its Cable Terminal Station in Barangay Tugas during low tide. What leaked, and where The cable uses mineral oil as insulation. NGCP estimated that around 2,000 liters escaped into coastal waters. The company said its personnel traced the source at 3 a.m. on November 5, which let response teams concentrate on the damaged section. Item Detail Owner National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) Asset Submarine Cable No. 7, Leyte-Cebu 230-kilovolt interconnection Location Barangay Tugas, Tabango, Leyte Detected 3 p.m. on November 4, 2026 Estimated leak 2,000 liters of mineral oil Contained by PCG 1,500 to 2,000 liters Shoreline waste 250 kilograms, plus 50 kilograms recovered on November 9 Status NGCP investigation ongoing; no cause announced What the Coast Guard recovered The Philippine Coast Guard’s Eastern Visayas district contained an estimated 1,500 to 2,000 liters of oil using spill booms and absorbent materials. Teams from Coast Guard Station Western Leyte, the Ormoc and Villaba sub-stations, and the Maritime Environmental Protection Unit responded. Crews also collected 250 kilograms of oil-contaminated waste from the shoreline in Barangay Tugas. The Maritime Environmental Protection Unit-Western Leyte recovered another 50 kilograms on Monday, November 9, using absorbent pads near the NGCP cable terminal station. The Coast Guard said the recovered material was segregated and stored in designated containers for disposal under environmental rules. (Photo: Philippine Coast Guard Eastern Visayas via INQUIRER.net) Fishers want NGCP to pay The Green Party of the Philippines’ Leyte chapter said NGCP should answer for the damage and for the possible loss of income among coastal residents, especially fisherfolk. “That is highly condemnable in the strongest possible terms. The NGCP should be penalized and must pay damages to the affected fisherfolk communities,” the group said in a statement on Monday. NGCP says it is still investigating NGCP said it deployed personnel, set up containment and absorbent materials, and sought the Coast Guard’s help. In a statement to the Inquirer, the company said it is investigating what caused the leak and has not announced a finding. The Leyte-Cebu line is part of the transmission backbone that moves power between the Visayas islands. Neither NGCP nor the Coast Guard mentioned any interruption to transmission service in their statements. The bigger picture At least one other oil spill was reported in the past week. On November 7, the Coast Guard recovered 25 liters of used oil that washed up in Mariveles, Bataan , and had not identified who dumped it at the time. NGCP itself has been in the news over ownership. Maharlika Investment Corp. backed out of a P19.7-billion stake in Synergy Grid, the listed company that holds a stake in NGCP, in late October. Cleanup in Tabango is expected to continue until the remaining residue is removed from the shoreline and the rocks where the oil has collected in shallow pools at low tide.

What leaked, and where

The cable uses mineral oil as insulation. NGCP estimated that around 2,000 liters escaped into coastal waters. The company said its personnel traced the source at 3 a.m. on November 5, which let response teams concentrate on the damaged section. Item Detail Owner National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) Asset Submarine Cable No. 7, Leyte-Cebu 230-kilovolt interconnection Location Barangay Tugas, Tabango, Leyte Detected 3 p.m. on November 4, 2026 Estimated leak 2,000 liters of mineral oil Contained by PCG 1,500 to 2,000 liters Shoreline waste 250 kilograms, plus 50 kilograms recovered on November 9 Status NGCP investigation ongoing; no cause announced What the Coast Guard recovered The Philippine Coast Guard’s Eastern Visayas district contained an estimated 1,500 to 2,000 liters of oil using spill booms and absorbent materials. Teams from Coast Guard Station Western Leyte, the Ormoc and Villaba sub-stations, and the Maritime Environmental Protection Unit responded. Crews also collected 250 kilograms of oil-contaminated waste from the shoreline in Barangay Tugas. The Maritime Environmental Protection Unit-Western Leyte recovered another 50 kilograms on Monday, November 9, using absorbent pads near the NGCP cable terminal station. The Coast Guard said the recovered material was segregated and stored in designated containers for disposal under environmental rules. (Photo: Philippine Coast Guard Eastern Visayas via INQUIRER.net) Fishers want NGCP to pay The Green Party of the Philippines’ Leyte chapter said NGCP should answer for the damage and for the possible loss of income among coastal residents, especially fisherfolk. “That is highly condemnable in the strongest possible terms. The NGCP should be penalized and must pay damages to the affected fisherfolk communities,” the group said in a statement on Monday. NGCP says it is still investigating NGCP said it deployed personnel, set up containment and absorbent materials, and sought the Coast Guard’s help. In a statement to the Inquirer, the company said it is investigating what caused the leak and has not announced a finding. The Leyte-Cebu line is part of the transmission backbone that moves power between the Visayas islands. Neither NGCP nor the Coast Guard mentioned any interruption to transmission service in their statements. The bigger picture At least one other oil spill was reported in the past week. On November 7, the Coast Guard recovered 25 liters of used oil that washed up in Mariveles, Bataan , and had not identified who dumped it at the time. NGCP itself has been in the news over ownership. Maharlika Investment Corp. backed out of a P19.7-billion stake in Synergy Grid, the listed company that holds a stake in NGCP, in late October. Cleanup in Tabango is expected to continue until the remaining residue is removed from the shoreline and the rocks where the oil has collected in shallow pools at low tide.

What the Coast Guard recovered

The Philippine Coast Guard’s Eastern Visayas district contained an estimated 1,500 to 2,000 liters of oil using spill booms and absorbent materials. Teams from Coast Guard Station Western Leyte, the Ormoc and Villaba sub-stations, and the Maritime Environmental Protection Unit responded. Crews also collected 250 kilograms of oil-contaminated waste from the shoreline in Barangay Tugas. The Maritime Environmental Protection Unit-Western Leyte recovered another 50 kilograms on Monday, November 9, using absorbent pads near the NGCP cable terminal station. The Coast Guard said the recovered material was segregated and stored in designated containers for disposal under environmental rules. (Photo: Philippine Coast Guard Eastern Visayas via INQUIRER.net) Fishers want NGCP to pay The Green Party of the Philippines’ Leyte chapter said NGCP should answer for the damage and for the possible loss of income among coastal residents, especially fisherfolk. “That is highly condemnable in the strongest possible terms. The NGCP should be penalized and must pay damages to the affected fisherfolk communities,” the group said in a statement on Monday. NGCP says it is still investigating NGCP said it deployed personnel, set up containment and absorbent materials, and sought the Coast Guard’s help. In a statement to the Inquirer, the company said it is investigating what caused the leak and has not announced a finding. The Leyte-Cebu line is part of the transmission backbone that moves power between the Visayas islands. Neither NGCP nor the Coast Guard mentioned any interruption to transmission service in their statements. The bigger picture At least one other oil spill was reported in the past week. On November 7, the Coast Guard recovered 25 liters of used oil that washed up in Mariveles, Bataan , and had not identified who dumped it at the time. NGCP itself has been in the news over ownership. Maharlika Investment Corp. backed out of a P19.7-billion stake in Synergy Grid, the listed company that holds a stake in NGCP, in late October. Cleanup in Tabango is expected to continue until the remaining residue is removed from the shoreline and the rocks where the oil has collected in shallow pools at low tide.

Crews also collected 250 kilograms of oil-contaminated waste from the shoreline in Barangay Tugas. The Maritime Environmental Protection Unit-Western Leyte recovered another 50 kilograms on Monday, November 9, using absorbent pads near the NGCP cable terminal station. The Coast Guard said the recovered material was segregated and stored in designated containers for disposal under environmental rules. (Photo: Philippine Coast Guard Eastern Visayas via INQUIRER.net) Fishers want NGCP to pay The Green Party of the Philippines’ Leyte chapter said NGCP should answer for the damage and for the possible loss of income among coastal residents, especially fisherfolk. “That is highly condemnable in the strongest possible terms. The NGCP should be penalized and must pay damages to the affected fisherfolk communities,” the group said in a statement on Monday. NGCP says it is still investigating NGCP said it deployed personnel, set up containment and absorbent materials, and sought the Coast Guard’s help. In a statement to the Inquirer, the company said it is investigating what caused the leak and has not announced a finding. The Leyte-Cebu line is part of the transmission backbone that moves power between the Visayas islands. Neither NGCP nor the Coast Guard mentioned any interruption to transmission service in their statements. The bigger picture At least one other oil spill was reported in the past week. On November 7, the Coast Guard recovered 25 liters of used oil that washed up in Mariveles, Bataan , and had not identified who dumped it at the time. NGCP itself has been in the news over ownership. Maharlika Investment Corp. backed out of a P19.7-billion stake in Synergy Grid, the listed company that holds a stake in NGCP, in late October. Cleanup in Tabango is expected to continue until the remaining residue is removed from the shoreline and the rocks where the oil has collected in shallow pools at low tide.

The Coast Guard said the recovered material was segregated and stored in designated containers for disposal under environmental rules. (Photo: Philippine Coast Guard Eastern Visayas via INQUIRER.net) Fishers want NGCP to pay The Green Party of the Philippines’ Leyte chapter said NGCP should answer for the damage and for the possible loss of income among coastal residents, especially fisherfolk. “That is highly condemnable in the strongest possible terms. The NGCP should be penalized and must pay damages to the affected fisherfolk communities,” the group said in a statement on Monday. NGCP says it is still investigating NGCP said it deployed personnel, set up containment and absorbent materials, and sought the Coast Guard’s help. In a statement to the Inquirer, the company said it is investigating what caused the leak and has not announced a finding. The Leyte-Cebu line is part of the transmission backbone that moves power between the Visayas islands. Neither NGCP nor the Coast Guard mentioned any interruption to transmission service in their statements. The bigger picture At least one other oil spill was reported in the past week. On November 7, the Coast Guard recovered 25 liters of used oil that washed up in Mariveles, Bataan , and had not identified who dumped it at the time. NGCP itself has been in the news over ownership. Maharlika Investment Corp. backed out of a P19.7-billion stake in Synergy Grid, the listed company that holds a stake in NGCP, in late October. Cleanup in Tabango is expected to continue until the remaining residue is removed from the shoreline and the rocks where the oil has collected in shallow pools at low tide.

Fishers want NGCP to pay

The Green Party of the Philippines’ Leyte chapter said NGCP should answer for the damage and for the possible loss of income among coastal residents, especially fisherfolk. “That is highly condemnable in the strongest possible terms. The NGCP should be penalized and must pay damages to the affected fisherfolk communities,” the group said in a statement on Monday. NGCP says it is still investigating NGCP said it deployed personnel, set up containment and absorbent materials, and sought the Coast Guard’s help. In a statement to the Inquirer, the company said it is investigating what caused the leak and has not announced a finding. The Leyte-Cebu line is part of the transmission backbone that moves power between the Visayas islands. Neither NGCP nor the Coast Guard mentioned any interruption to transmission service in their statements. The bigger picture At least one other oil spill was reported in the past week. On November 7, the Coast Guard recovered 25 liters of used oil that washed up in Mariveles, Bataan , and had not identified who dumped it at the time. NGCP itself has been in the news over ownership. Maharlika Investment Corp. backed out of a P19.7-billion stake in Synergy Grid, the listed company that holds a stake in NGCP, in late October. Cleanup in Tabango is expected to continue until the remaining residue is removed from the shoreline and the rocks where the oil has collected in shallow pools at low tide.

“That is highly condemnable in the strongest possible terms. The NGCP should be penalized and must pay damages to the affected fisherfolk communities,” the group said in a statement on Monday. NGCP says it is still investigating NGCP said it deployed personnel, set up containment and absorbent materials, and sought the Coast Guard’s help. In a statement to the Inquirer, the company said it is investigating what caused the leak and has not announced a finding. The Leyte-Cebu line is part of the transmission backbone that moves power between the Visayas islands. Neither NGCP nor the Coast Guard mentioned any interruption to transmission service in their statements. The bigger picture At least one other oil spill was reported in the past week. On November 7, the Coast Guard recovered 25 liters of used oil that washed up in Mariveles, Bataan , and had not identified who dumped it at the time. NGCP itself has been in the news over ownership. Maharlika Investment Corp. backed out of a P19.7-billion stake in Synergy Grid, the listed company that holds a stake in NGCP, in late October. Cleanup in Tabango is expected to continue until the remaining residue is removed from the shoreline and the rocks where the oil has collected in shallow pools at low tide.

NGCP says it is still investigating

NGCP said it deployed personnel, set up containment and absorbent materials, and sought the Coast Guard’s help. In a statement to the Inquirer, the company said it is investigating what caused the leak and has not announced a finding. The Leyte-Cebu line is part of the transmission backbone that moves power between the Visayas islands. Neither NGCP nor the Coast Guard mentioned any interruption to transmission service in their statements. The bigger picture At least one other oil spill was reported in the past week. On November 7, the Coast Guard recovered 25 liters of used oil that washed up in Mariveles, Bataan , and had not identified who dumped it at the time. NGCP itself has been in the news over ownership. Maharlika Investment Corp. backed out of a P19.7-billion stake in Synergy Grid, the listed company that holds a stake in NGCP, in late October. Cleanup in Tabango is expected to continue until the remaining residue is removed from the shoreline and the rocks where the oil has collected in shallow pools at low tide.

The Leyte-Cebu line is part of the transmission backbone that moves power between the Visayas islands. Neither NGCP nor the Coast Guard mentioned any interruption to transmission service in their statements. The bigger picture At least one other oil spill was reported in the past week. On November 7, the Coast Guard recovered 25 liters of used oil that washed up in Mariveles, Bataan , and had not identified who dumped it at the time. NGCP itself has been in the news over ownership. Maharlika Investment Corp. backed out of a P19.7-billion stake in Synergy Grid, the listed company that holds a stake in NGCP, in late October. Cleanup in Tabango is expected to continue until the remaining residue is removed from the shoreline and the rocks where the oil has collected in shallow pools at low tide.

At least one other oil spill was reported in the past week. On November 7, the Coast Guard recovered 25 liters of used oil that washed up in Mariveles, Bataan , and had not identified who dumped it at the time. NGCP itself has been in the news over ownership. Maharlika Investment Corp. backed out of a P19.7-billion stake in Synergy Grid, the listed company that holds a stake in NGCP, in late October. Cleanup in Tabango is expected to continue until the remaining residue is removed from the shoreline and the rocks where the oil has collected in shallow pools at low tide.

NGCP itself has been in the news over ownership. Maharlika Investment Corp. backed out of a P19.7-billion stake in Synergy Grid, the listed company that holds a stake in NGCP, in late October. Cleanup in Tabango is expected to continue until the remaining residue is removed from the shoreline and the rocks where the oil has collected in shallow pools at low tide.

Cleanup in Tabango is expected to continue until the remaining residue is removed from the shoreline and the rocks where the oil has collected in shallow pools at low tide.