The women-led beach clean-up initiative of Sipalay City was shortlisted as one of the six finalists in the thriving communities category of the Green Destinations Top 100 Stories for 2024.
Sipalay City is the only entry from the Philippines nominated from six categories in the worldwide competition, the Green Destinations website states.
Every year the Green Destinations Top 100 Stories competition collects sustainable tourism stories and good practices from destinations globally to set examples for others from the tourism stakeholders.
Sipalay’s “Lakbayon” (‘Lakbay sa Baybayon’ or ‘Walk along the Beach’) Women’s Beach Clean-up Volunteer Project under the Sipalay City Council for Women has already reached 14,675 family member beneficiaries in 11 barangays.
It has also significantly cleared and cleaned the beach of waste that led to the declaration of 40 percent of the shoreline as a conservation area for sea turtles and the 11-hectare beach and mangrove forest.
Through the consistent clean-up, the beach is now the main beach tourism and recreational area of the city and venue for various local and national-level sports tourism activities, the Sipalay entry said.
Sipalay Mayor Gina Monitolla-Lizares said that the story is a testament of our commitment to sustainable development, community involvement, environmental protection, and women empowerment that was originally conceptualized by her mother, former Mayor Soledad Montilla, with a local group of women community leaders.
“We will work harder and strive even more for a sustainable future for the people of Sipalay”, Lizares added.
Sipalay City’s tourism officer Jerick Lacson also told DIGICAST NEGROS that the achievement proves that the commitment of the local government to sustainable development and sustainable tourism is bearing fruit.
The Negros Occidental cities of Bago and Sagay were also nominated and awarded as Green Destinations this year.*