DENR to clean up Manila Bay coastline a day before Ondoy anniversary

On September 25, the International Coastal Cleanup Day, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) will spearhead a cleanup of the country’s coastlines. About 1,000 volunteers from schools, government agencies and the private sector will pick trash along the coast of Manila Bay in Cavite, the DENR said. “Every September, the DENR mobilizes all its offices to coordinate with the increasing number of sectors who have expressed keen interest in joining cleanup activities," DENR Secretary Ramon Paje said in the statement issued on Friday. The cleanup will be held a day before the country marks the first anniversary of typhoon “Ondoy," which caused heavy flooding in Metro Manila and nearby provinces, and claimed more than 400 lives. Paje said the coastal cleanup will be conducted “to highlight efforts to control flooding" and to remind Filipinos that the trash they throw on land can make their way to bodies of water. He added that the number of waste gathered during the cleanup will be recorded and summarized on data cards to determine the kinds of trash polluting the country’s waterways and coastlines. Last year, the Philippines mobilized 74,493 volunteers for the cleanup, the second highest number of volunteers out of the 108 countries that participated in the event. More than 327,000 kilograms of trash were collected last year, mostly cigarette butts, food wrappers, cans, bottles, and plastic bags. The global event was organized by advocacy group Ocean Conservancy, aimed at changing "human behaviors that allow trash and debris to reach the ocean." –VVP, GMANews.TV