Julia Theresa L. Soriano, @kaaksyon_julia BAJ 3A | PublicAksyon Posted on October 7, 2022
📷 Ali Vicoy, Manila Bulletin
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has shown their dedication to leading national environmental initiatives by organizing and participating in the global observance of the International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) Day 2022 on Saturday, September 17, 2022.
At least 4,500 sacks of garbage have been collected thanks to the participation of over 4,000 volunteers in cleaning up the Manila Baywalk Dolomite Beach.
This year’s theme is “Fighting for Trash Free Seas-Pilipinas: Ending the Flow of Trash at the Source,” the event was one of eight DENR-led cleanup initiatives in Metro Manila.
A total of 4,500 garbage sacks were donated to the Manila Bay Coordinating Office (MBCO) by the DENR Central Office and the DENR-National Capital Region, which includes the DENR-MEO West.
Additional garbage bags were collected from partaking national and local government agencies and private organizations such as the Manila City government, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, Philippine Army, Philippine Air Force, Philippine National Police (PNP), PNP-Maritime Group, and Philippine Coast Guard.
To even help the volunteers, there were water stations with clean water for hand washing and drinking.
The Manila Water Foundation (in partner with UNICEF), which provided bottles of alcohols to attendees, the Dragon Boat Federation of the Philippines, and Manila Water, which collaborated with regional and national government organizations and barangays to carry out tree-planting campaigns, waterway cleanups, and desludging caravans, all took part in the event.
“Volunteers from government, private organizations, and private individuals came to the Baywalk’s coastline with their own garbage bags as well,” said Rodelina de Villa, DENR-Metropolitan Environmental Office (MEO) West OIC Director.
In 2003, former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo issued Proclamation No. 470, declaring every third Saturday in September of every year as International Coastal Cleanup Day, in observance of the coastal cleanup celebrations around the world.
Since its declaration in 2003, the DENR has taken the lead in the celebration and invites staff members, individuals, and groups from all sectors to take part in this advocacy effort.
The Philippines is located in an area known as the Coral Triangle, which is known for having the richest center of marine life, coral diversity, and an incredible variety of wildlife. There are 6,000 different species of fish in this region, and 76% of the world’s coral species are found there.
However, the Ateneo de Manila report states that the Philippines is the third-largest contributor to plastic waste globally, contributing an estimated 0.75 million metric tons of ocean plastic annually.
Manila Bay was found to have a number of significant environmental issues, including declining water quality, coastal erosion and siltation, overfishing, habitat degradation, and biodiversity loss, according to a report by Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA). Additionally, it was stated that the pollution was caused by land-based human activities, including ‘the release of municipal, industrial, and agricultural wastes, land runoff, and atmospheric deposition.’
Millions of homes in Metro Manila have long been known to be the main source of the pollution that enters Manila Bay. These homes dump their trash and waste materials into nearby streams, which then flow into the Pasig River, on to Manila Bay.
“This is really not surprising because up to now, of the 16.3 million water-served population in Metro Manila, only 15 percent or 2.4 million are connected to a sewerage system. Clearly the bulk of Metro Manila’s household toilets continue to drain into waterways, including the Pasig River, that all empty out into the bay every day,” said Lito Atienza.
DENR reports a significant improvement in the water quality at Manila Bay, in comparison to their report from 2019 that issued a public health advisory that the waters at the bay were still unfit for bathing due to high concentrations of fecal coliform bacteria which might elevate their risk of contracting diseases.
“Rest assured that we will not stop here and will continue our work as part of the Manila Bay rehabilitation project,” said Michael Drake P. Matias, EMB-NCR regional director.
ICC’s objectives are to get people involved in cleaning up trash and debris from waterways, find the sources, change bad habits, increase awareness, and enhance solid waste management initiatives.
(YouTube Video by KUYARONS TV / Link: MGA PWD NAG-CLEAN UP DRIVE SA DOLOMITE BEACH MANILA BAY)
A YouTuber named KUYARONS TV posted a video titled ‘MGA PWD NAG-CLEAN UP DRIVE SA DOLOMITE BEACH MANILA BAY’ that featured people with disabilities helping to clean up the Dolomite beach.
The video also demonstrated the volume of trash that was in the coastal area of Dolomite beach and how many bags the volunteers have accumulated during the cleanup.
The same content creator updated the situation in a video titled ‘DOLOMITE BEACH BALIK GANDA NA ULIT MANILA BAY UPDATE 09-30-2022’ and returned to the beach on September 30, 2022.
(YouTube Video by KUYARONS TV / Link: DOLOMITE BEACH BALIK GANDA NA ULIT MANILA BAY UPDATE 09-30-2022)
This video shows how much improved the appearance of Manila Baywalk Dolomite Beach was from the YouTuber’s previous visit.
De Villa emphasized the significance of working together to make a difference across all sectors to solve the severe problem with baywalk Dolomite beach through cleanup efforts.
“This initiative will help make our coastal area in Manila Bay better so that our tourists and visitors will see the beauty of the bay,” 18-year-old college student Kendrick Lopez said to Reuters during the cleanup activity.
There was a lot of debate and opposition, when the Manila white sand project was made public—and is still the subject of criticism because many people are still disappointed by the big budget invested in this project given the rise in COVID-19 cases at the time.
Despite the criticism, DENR stated that the project’s goals went beyond aesthetics and included encouraging Filipinos to adopt environmentally friendly habits in the hopes that the sight of the country’s famed white sand would motivate them to fulfill their duty to keep Manila Bay clean.
According to DENR-MEO-West, who oversees the maintenance of the 500-meter beach walk, 147,939 sacks of solid waste were collected during cleanup efforts that took place between July 12 to September 14.
In addition, 83,109 sacks of water hyacinth and 2,224 sacks of marine debris were collected during the same time period.
The most typical items of trash discovered in 2014 included cigarette butts, food wrappers, plastic bottles and caps, straws, grocery bags, glass bottles, and beverage cans; volunteers cleared about 208,428 kilos of trash from 335 kilometers of shorelines and waterways.
This year, de Villa reported that plastic waste, dried water hyacinth, and marine debris made up the majority of the garbage that was collected.
“Plastics are the most common trash found in Manila Bay. Undisputedly, it negatively affects the environment,” said MMDA Chairman Benhur Abalos, who supervised the 2021 cleanup operations.
📷 Niko Baua, ABS-CBN News
9 days after the ICC Day 2022, Typhoon Karding struck Metro Manila, leaving the locals with yet another load of trash to collect.
About 200 sacks of trash were collected on the beach, and authorities have once more determined that water sachets and other plastic waste are the predominant trash item in this batch.
The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has allotted a staggering P1.5 billion in funding for the rehabilitation of Manila Bay for the entire year of 2023, according to DENR.
Environment Undersecretary Jonas Leones requested the assistance of DILG Secretary Benhur Abalos in requiring barangays to stop the accumulation of garbage in water tributaries, which continues to aggravate the situation. He added that areas in Metro Manila, Region 3 or Central Luzon, and Region 4-A (Calabarzon or Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon) are also responsible for the long-standing pollution issue at Manila Bay.
“The Manila Bay consists of three regions. At the National Capital Region alone, there are many water tributaries where informal settlers live. They have no sanitation facilities, they are just using as big toilet the water bodies, the creeks,” Environment Undersecretary Jonas Leones said.
However, the water quality at the Dolomite beach, according to Leones, has significantly improved compared to how it was before rehabilitation, and they credit their intervention for the water’s consistency.
Every year, the ICC event has inspired Filipinos to contribute their time and energy to cleaning up and improving the pollution situation on Manila Baywalk and Dolomite Beach.
Nelson Delgado, a participant in Manila Bay’s 2019 cleanup effort, said to Philippine News Agency: “yung dumi naman po, nahuhugasan yan at nawawala. Yung kakaibang saya na nakukuha sa pagkakawanggawa, forever ko na po yung ite-treasure.”
They invite people to join their expanding community of volunteers and protectors by visiting their website, Volunteer - MANILA BAY BEACH. Anyone interested in volunteering can set a date and notify the organization of their arrival by following Manila Bay Beach - Home | Facebook.
Keywords:
DENR
International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) Day 2022, ICC, ICC Day 2022
4,500 sacks
4,000 volunteers
Dolomite Beach
Metro Manila
Manila Bay
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