Lapu-lapu City Coastal Clean-up - A Drive To A Healthy Marine Environment

felicitas (50)in #philippines • 6 years ago

Have a blessed day to all Steemians. It's been a tiresome start of the day. I woke up early because our assembly time is 5:30 A.M. at Mactan Barangay Hall where I have to spend 30 minutes travel to get there. This is in response to the entire city's coastal clean by all government employees.

The Philippines is committed to the annual observance of the International Coastal Clean-up (ICC), pursuant to the Presidential Proclaimation No. 470 that was issued on September 15, 2003. Coastal clean-up was established by the Ocean Conservancy , an organization that works to help protect the ocean from trashes that may harm the wildlife and humans, to the extent that may affect the livelihood, tourism, recreation and the money the ocean brings to the community. This year would be the 33rd ICC that would be held on September 15, 2018, but our local government initiated this advanced coastal clean-up seeing the benefits being the Resort City and joining again on September for more volunteers from different agencies.

We were assigned to the beach near Lapu-lapu Shrine, the weather never cooperated it was raining. Our principal insisted that we had to perform using rain paraphernalias if none then do the task with the rain, we are required to render service for two hours only from 6AM to 8AM.

Good thing the rain lasted only for 30 minutes, we performed well with the task.

Sacks of trashes mostly plastics were brought near the high way for the garbage truck to pick up. Thanks to Ma'am Juna Babatuon for this fb picture of mine with the principal and other male teacher.
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It was not an easy task, especially in walking the mud and picking muddy garbages. Yes, it was a requirement being a government employee but my heart feels for the conservation of the ocean.

I was a fishery student and lucky to be one of the graduates in Aquaculture Technology. If you remember my blog in our CTU grand reunion, I had shown our working area when we were students. I always treaure all the teachings of my fishery instructors in the protection, preservation and conservation of marine habitats as well as to take care and the propagation of aquatic lives. I had been a volunteer of the yearly mangroove planting initiated by the manufacturing company I worked before I joined DepEd.

With the collected trashes, sampling will be done and the results will be evaluated what are the usual trashes thrown. With the past years' results, the plastic packs of shampoos and conditioners contribute the biggest volume and also the junk food's wrappers. In some countries, shampoos are sold in big bottles to lessen plastic trashes.

If manufacturers follow the mode of packing
by bottle, what will happen to the less fortunate who even felt difficulty in buying sachets?

Again, self-discipline counts.

Garbage trucks have schedules to rotate every barangay, why not segreagate trashes and have your plastic garbages be picked? Why throw them on rivers, canals,etc that will surely end up to the ocean?

When we felt awkward in buying goods in a department store on a no plastic day, can you make it a practice to always have an echo bag with you?

Just for an advice which will surely bring benefits for us.

Be accountable in disposing your garbages.

Don't let these people or any other volunteers pick them for you.

The teachers of Mactan National High School with the principal, a pose in the rain before we start*