Hundreds of volunteers join the clean-up activity in heavily-polluted Panalaron Bay and Mangon-bangon Creek in Tacloban City. (Photo courtesy of Roel Amazona)
TACLOBAN CITY – Around 700 volunteers joined the clean-up drive on Sunday along the coast of heavily polluted Panalaron Bay and Mangon-bangon creek in this city.
Although not all solid wastes were removed during the three-hour cleanup, organizers said they are happy with the outcome.
“At least we’re able to raise awareness on the value of cleaning our bays and waterways. This is in support to the program of President Rodrigo Duterte to rehabilitate the polluted bodies of water,” said An Waray founder Bem Noel, one of the event organizers.
The group invited some residents living near the bay and creek, including children, who volunteered to collect debris and garbage.
"It's heart-warming to see the kids who approach you to ask for garbage bags because they too wanted to join in cleaning their surroundings. This is uplifting because we were able to raise consciousness to these young minds," Noel said.
The activity collected at least five truckloads of garbage.
Joining the drive were the Maritime Group of the Philippine National Police, Sangyaw Foundation Incorporated, Rotary Club of Ormoc Bay, San Juanico Eagles Club, Boy Scout of the Philippines, Tau Gamma Sigma members, students of Eastern Visayas State Universities, Carigara School of Fisheries Alumni Association members, villages officials and An Waray party-list volunteers.
Mangon-bangon creek is a vital body of water in the city that traverses 13 villages. It drains to Panalaron Bay where the public market, fish port, and other big establishments discharge untreated wastewater into the bay.
An Waray installed a biofence, made up containers to stop trash from Mangon-bangon creek to enter the bay.
“Trashes will be easily collected with the use of biofence and will no longer end up at the bay,” Noel said.
The group also distributed 20 plastic drums to villages along Mangon-bangon and Panalaron Bay that will be used as trash cans.
“This may not totally solve the garbage problem, but I hope that when the citizenry sees these garbage bins, they will use it in disposing of their trash to avoid and prevent it from polluting the bodies of water,” Noel said.
“We are also looking at the possibility of acquiring oil fence that we will distribute to local government units with rivers,” he added.
Oil fence, also called a containment boom, is a temporary floating barrier used to contain an oil spill and also used to reduce the possibility of polluting shorelines and other resources and to help make recovery easier.
Noel hopes that people in communities along waterways will be responsible enough to take care of their environment and stop throwing pieces of trash in waterways and sea.
“It is not only protecting the environment, but it will also protect them and their children who love swimming. The only way to ensure they are safe is when we clean our environment. It is also convenient for them if their environment smells clean and good,” Noel added.
Tacloban city information officer Maria Lumen Tabao said the city government supports the initiative of cleaning the bay and creek.
Tabao added that the Fishery Law Enforcement Team (FLET) regularly cleans the Panalaron Bay but there are still irresponsible people who keep on throwing their trash anywhere that ends up at sea.
“Villages along the waterways and coastline should also help in cleaning the bay by starting it within their communities, avoiding throwing their trash at Mangon-bangon creek so that it will not pollute the sea,” Tabao added.
She added that offices at the city hall which includes FLET and the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office agreed to take turns in cleaning Panalaron Bay.
Eastern Visayas Tourism Association public information officer Rhoel Ladera suggested that to sustain the cleanliness of waterways and bodies of water in Tacloban, the activity should be done regularly.
“Why don’t we elevate this to a higher level? I mean like make this a regular activity for different groups whole-year round rather than just a one-time, big-time or yearly coastal cleanup from few groups,” Ladera said.
He added that the big companies operating in the city may also grab the opportunity in joining the regular clean-up drive by making it part of their corporate social responsibility. (PNA)
