By Alec Go
The Philippines joined the world on Saturday, Sept. 17, in observing this year’s International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) day with volunteers and agencies teaming up in cleaning shorelines and other waterways from plastic and other wastes.
In Metro Manila, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) set up clean-up drives along the polluted Manila Bay, Las Piñas–Parañaque Wetland Park, and other water bodies in Navotas, Manila, Pasay, and Quezon City.
These were participated by the military, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), the Climate Change Commission (CCC), volunteer groups, and private organizations. The Dolomite Beach activity had 310 volunteers, according to the PCG.
The CCC, the lead agency for climate change mitigation and adaptation, called on the public to join similar efforts even beyond the coastal clean up observation period to ensure a plastic-free Philippines.
“Ang Pilipinas ay panglima sa may pinakamahabang coastline sa buong mundo, kaya’t mahalaga na pangalagaan natin ito at panatilihing plastic-free… Ang pagtugon sa plastic pollution ay kabahagi ng mas malawak na climate action,” CCC Vice Chair and Executive Director Robert Borje said in a post.
The DENR shared that its clean-up activities in the Cordillera Administrative Region yielded 3,599.241 kilograms (kg) of mixed wastes through the help of 989 volunteers, while DENR Caraga with 182 volunteers collected 454 kg of trash.
In 2003, former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo signed Proclamation No. 470 declaring every third Saturday of September each year as ICC day in observance of the global coastal clean-up celebrations.
Meanwhile, environmental groups continue to call on corporate polluters to take accountability for the plastic pollution crisis.
“We can end plastic clean ups by doubling down on corporate accountability,” Break Free from Plastic global coordinator Von Hernandez said in a release, adding that its brand audit initiative to identify polluters continues.
“While the number of events and locations change each year, the culprits in this story remain the same, and unless these top corporate polluters invest in real solutions that move us away from dependence on single-use plastics, we will continue to see the same brands and companies wreaking havoc on the climate and our environment,” Hernandez said. – gb
