SUBIC BAY FREEPORT – Despite the delay caused by typhoon Mangkhut to this year’s cleanup activity, an impressive amount of volunteers showed up today at the Waterfront Boardwalk for the International Coastal Cleanup 2018 (ICC 2018). The activity, which was originally scheduled for last September 15 had to be postponed due to the torrential rain and strong winds caused by the typhoon.
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Subic Bay’s shoreline before the cleanup activity, which had to be postpones due to Typhoon Mangkhut
Spearheaded by ICC-Zambales, and lead by their head coordinator Zedrick T. Avecilla, the International Coastal Cleanup has long brought together thousands of individuals to clean Subic Bay’s shoreline. Looked forward to as one of the most important community activity in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone, ICC 2018 is a salutation to the Freeport’s agenda of sustainable development
Now in its ninth year, the Coastal Cleanup’s advocacy of collecting as much trash and plastic from the shoreline is still going on strong as evidenced by the army of volunteers who showed up today. Armed with their garbage bags and cleaning implements, they fanned out across every inch of the Waterfront shore.
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The day started early for the MoreFun PH team. The staff gathered at the MoreFun office in the small hours of the morning to prepare for the day’s activities. In addition to garbage bags, gloves, and tools; we also made sure to bring our hats, sunblock, water bottles, and of course, snacks.
We were gladdened to see that all participants displayed enduring enthusiasm as they walked for hours along Subic Bay’s shores gathering as much plastic and trash as they can. The volunteers were composed of people from all walks of life: students from local schools, officials from the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, employees from Freeport locators, local government units, and both foreign and local residents.
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ICC 2018’s volunteers spans across all ages, gender, and race.
Admittedly, it was not only difficult physically but also mentally, especially seeing that year after year, the mission to rid our shores of trash seem to be an endless task but the mere fact that thousands of volunteers essentially gave up their weekend every year to pick up other people’s garbage was an encouraging fact.
In today’s landscape of negative headlines, the sight of citizens joining each other in an effort to keep our environment trash free is inspiring to behold. Each plastic debris that they pick up from the beach means less harmful chemicals harm wildlife, emit toxins into the environment, and disrupt the food chain.
As the official media partner for ICC 2018, we would like to thank everybody who participated in the cleanup. May we all embody the spirit of volunteerism and environmental awareness each and every day.
Help us spread the word about our advocacy to keep Subic Bay clean by joining our team (PLEDGE NOW). Join the discussion in our website (MoreFun.ph) and contribute in deliberating solutions for dealing with waste in our waterways.
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Let’s all see each other again at the International Coastal Cleanup Summit 2018 in a few weeks.
