PAGADIAN
CITY, Zamboanga del Sur, Sept. 19 (PNA) -- At least 10 tons of garbage were
collected during the coastal clean-up activity spearheaded Saturday by the
Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in selected areas in
this city.
Tito
Gadon, DENR regional conservation and development chief, said more than five
thousands volunteers joined the coastal clean-up activity that started 6 a.m.
and ended at 10:30 a.m.
The
activity kicked-off the observance of the International Clean-up Month here in
the region.
The
International Clean-up Month starts September 19 to October 19.
The
clean-up was held in the 11 coastal barangays in this city namely: Bomba, Poloyagan,
Napolan, Dumagoc, Santa Lucia, Santiago, San Pedro, Lumbia, Kawit, White Beach
and Muricay.
Gadon
expressed gratitude to the participants from the different sectors who joined
the coastal clean-up activity.
The
participants are from the Philippine Coast Guard, police, military, ROTC cadets
of different schools, and non-government organizations.
Meanwhile,
Gadon urged the people, especially coastal dwellers, to refrain from disposing
garbage on rivers and seashores so as not to destroy “our natural resources.”
He said
there is a need to protect the sea since it is the source of fish of the more
than a dozen canneries based here in the region.
This
year’s observance of the International Coastal Cleanup Day is anchored on the
theme “Bayanihan para sa malinis na Katubigan at Karagatan.” (PNA)
JBP/TPGJR/HIROHITO
D. CADION