(Photo by Leilanie Adriano)
LAOAG CITY – More than 4,000 volunteers from around 300 public and private organizations joined the 41st International Coastal Cleanup Day in Gabu Sur, Laoag City on Saturday, collecting more than 2.5 tons of waste from the coastline.
The activity brought together local government units, schools, civic groups, community organizations and private-sector partners in a large-scale effort to promote proper waste management and protect coastal areas.
Joegie Jimenez, senior environment program officer of the Ilocos Norte Environment and Natural Resources Office, said the annual cleanup should go beyond collecting trash and help strengthen discipline in waste segregation and plastic reduction.
Organizers said an estimated 2,581 kilograms of waste were gathered during the cleanup, mostly residual and non-biodegradable materials such as PET bottles and glass containers.
Laoag City environment and natural resources officer Mylene Isabel Pascual reminded participants to properly segregate collected waste and described the activity as the city’s biggest coastal cleanup coalition so far.
She said the turnout reflected the spirit of “bayanihan” and showed what different sectors can achieve through coordinated environmental action.
SM City Laoag manager Maria Cristina Sebastian said participation was significantly higher than the more than 1,000 volunteers who joined the National Coastal Cleanup in June.
The International Coastal Cleanup is held every third Saturday of September to raise awareness about marine litter and the effects of improper waste disposal on oceans, ecosystems and coastal communities.
Organizers stressed that much of the waste that reaches the sea begins on land, making proper disposal, plastic reduction and protection of waterways critical to preventing marine pollution.
