DUMAGUETE CITY, (PNA) –- The city government of Dumaguete, through its Environment and Natural Resources Office (ENRO), has collected 12,980 kilos of garbage during the recent International Coastal and Waterways clean-up held along the coastal barangays and inland barangays of the city.
The report on the total garbage collection during the International Coastal Cleanup Day in Dumaguete was released on Thursday after the ENRO collated the data from the different participating groups, said Syril Repe of the City Information Office.
Records show that the participants collected 4,530 kilos of garbage along the Banica River (755 kilos biodegradable and 3,775 kilos non-biodegradable) and 8,450 kilos of trash (725 kilos biodegradable and 7,725 kilos) from the coastal areas.
Flora Ocao, Coastal Resource Management Project Coordinator of ENRO, said the participants were from 22 local and national government, most of them city hall employees, 13 universities and colleges and high school students coming from private and public schools and eight barangays.
OIC-ENRO Officer Reynaldo Awayan said the city government has been implementing Ordinance No. 88, the Comprehensive Coastal Resources Management program, to address coastal problems on dumping of solid waste along the coastlines and waterways by residents
During the coastal cleanup in Dumaguete, at least nine stations were identified, to include Silliman Beach, Escano Beach, Piapi Beach, Rizal Boulevard, Tinago 6, Canday-ong, Mangnao (all coastal areas), Banilad (all coastal areas) and Banica River.
According to Aidalyn Arabe, the coastal cleanup coordinator and who is with the maritime environment protection division of the Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary 206th squadron and an active advocate from 350.org., an estimated 1,000 or more people took part in the activity.
What is unique with this year’s International Coastal Cleanup in Dumaguete is that private and public sectors have joined together and made it not just a mere yearly activity to accomplish but to send out the message that the sea and rivers are not dumpsites, said Arabe.
“We hope that it created an impact to the people of Dumaguete and Negros Oriental, especially with the children’s participation.
Children, as young as five years old, went over to Arabe’s group while they were segregating trash and volunteered to help.
Participants to the coastal cleanup included the Philippine Coast Guard and its auxiliary group, the BPI-BAYAN, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the United States Peace Corps volunteers, the 302nd Infantry Brigade of the Philippine Army, the Philippine National Police, 350.Org, various schools, colleges and universities, business establishments, local government units, civic groups and non-government organizations.
“Scubasureros” or scuba divers collecting trash added color as well to the coastal cleanup.