A community coastal clean-up drive led to the removal of 6,602 kilograms of residual garbage from Purok Lison, Barangay 1, in Bacolod City, on Saturday, August 4.
A total of 500 sacks of garbage were hauled by about 150 volunteers led by Barangay 1 officials and residents in partnership with the Department of Public Services, City Environment and Natural Resources Office, IPM-Construction and Development Corporation through its Trash to Cash Back Program and Pilipinas Shell Foundation Inc., the Bacolod Public Information Office reported.
The regular and sustained coastal clean-up is one of the strategies implemented by the Department of Public Services and City ENRO to combat plastic marine pollution in the city’s coastal barangays, it said.
It is also our way of raising awareness among coastal communities to participate in marine protection effort. The total garbage collected through coastal and river and creek clean-ups now totals
12,329.68 kilograms, it added.
Barangay Captain Cesar Rellos said the last coastal activity in Purok Lison was held in 2018. It was not sustained because of pandemic and lack of resources, he said.
However, through the initiative of DPS and ENRO and with the support of various stakeholders in the area, they plan to conduct this regularly to support the priority agenda of Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez to make Bacolod a model city in waste management, Rellos said.
Program Officer Carmen Colasito of Pilipinas Shell Foundation Inc. said joining and supporting this activity is part of their environmental advocacy.
The Pilipinas Shell Depot is located in Purok Lison. The Pilipinas Shell Foundation Inc. sponsored the MABB-May Bugas sa Basura (Rice to Trash project) initiated by the city government in partnership with the Brgy 1 Council. Each bag of trash collected were exchanged with 2 kilos of rice.*