DEPARTMENT of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Assistant Secretary Romel Lopez reported on Tuesday that nearly a year after an oil spill hit the provinces of Oriental Mindoro and Palawan in February 2023, affected residents are already returning to their normal lives because of the department's ongoing assistance.

Lopez said that the DSWD, working alongside the affected local government units (LGUs) and other key agencies, responded to the disaster with a variety of initiatives aimed at providing immediate relief and long-term recovery to mitigate the effects of the oil spill on fishermen and their communities.