TACLOBAN CITY-“Let us join millions of people around the globe in rehabilitating and cleaning our coastal areas, seas, rivers and waterways from marine debris that harm our marine life and ecosystems this International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) Day, September 16”, says Assistant Regional Director for Management Service and in-charge of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) 8 Arturo N. Salazar.
In observance of this year’s International Coastal Clean-up Day, the Conservation and Development Division of the DENR Regional Office and the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) will spearhead a clean-up activity along the coast of Panalaron Bay, Cancabato Bay, San Pedro Bay and Mangonbangon River.
The activity will start simultaneously in every designated area at six o’clock in the morning of September 16. After the cleanup, a short program will be held at Plaza Rizal, this city.
Nearly 300 volunteers will join the event. This includes partners from different agencies and civil society organizations such as ABS-CBN Bantay Kalikasan, Let’s Do It! Philippines, Philippine National Police, Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and PCG-Auxiliary, Knights of Columbus, United Architects of the Philippines (UAP), Volunteer for the Visayans, Petron Corporation, Tacloban City Rescue Unit (TACRU), Rotary Club of Kandaya, SEED4Com, the city government of Tacloban and other national and local government agencies.
Information from the EMB states that for this year, an orchestrated cleanup will be conducted by donor-partners of the Adopt-an-Estero/Waterbody Program.
A synchronized coastal cleanup will also be spearheaded by different DENR field offices in other parts of the region.
The EMB also disclosed that recyclable wastes collected from the clean-up will be sold to junk shops. Proceeds will be donated to Tahanang Walang Hagdan, a non-government organization.
“We enjoin the active participation of the public in cleaning-up our waterways especially this International Coastal Clean-up Day and in ensuring a safe and sound environment beneficial to the health and well-being of the community”, says assistant regional director Salazar.
The International Coastal Cleanup Day is being observed annually every third Saturday of September in consonance with Presidential Proclamation No. 470 signed on September 15, 2003 and consistent with Proclamation No. 244 declaring September as National Clean-up Month.(PR)