CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, LA UNION – The Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Region- I (DENR- I) and its field offices joined the world’s largest volunteer effort for ocean’s health by mobilizing the citizenry through the conduct of simultaneous cleanup in the coasts and rivers of the region on September 15 and 16, 2023.

Presidential Proclamation No. 470 s. 2003, declares every third Saturday of September of each year as the International Coastal Clean-up (ICC) Day. This years’ theme; “Clean Seas for Healthy Fisheries” supports the objective of the United Nations (UN) Ocean Decade Challenge 3, “Sustainably Feed the Global Population”. This challenge recognizes the need to ensure sustainable food production from the ocean to feed the growing global population while safeguarding the health and productivity of marine ecosystems.

Underscoring the importance of coming together to support the world’s fight against marine litter, an estimate of 1,300 volunteers from DENR-1, national agencies, local government units, academe, private sectors, and civil society joined and collected 6,890 kilos / 563 sacks of trash along the 13 km coasts and rivers in the different sites in the region. 

The Regional Office through the Conservation and Development Division (CDD) spearheaded the coastal cleanup activities in Barangay Namonitan, Sto. Tomas and Barangay Bani, Rosario, La Union and followed by an IEC on Code of Good Aquaculture Practice (GAqP) to communities and businesses involved in aquaculture farming in Sto. Tomas and Rosario. Various volunteers from national government agencies such as Philippine National Police, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR); Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Local Government Units (LGUs) of the Municipalites of Sto. Tomas and Rosario, La Union and Communities attended this particular activity.

The most common items collected were grocery bags, beverage bottles (plastic and glass), sachets/pouches, food containers, utensils (plastic & foam cups and plates), food wrappers, fishing lines, nets, ropes, etc, PPEs (gloves, mask), diapers, clothing and footwear. These most common trash collected served as evidence that every day live of people depend on plastics which eventually end up in the ocean.

ICC day celebration visions to have a balanced and healthy ocean which is free from trash and pollution for cleaner and healthier lives for both human and marine ecosystem.  Its mission is to help clean the seas, rivers, lakes and waterways, and to raise awareness on the growing marine debris problem.