Don Bosco School of Theology, Philippines participates in Marine Coastal Cleanup!

Facilitators and participants of DBST’s LS-CET program joined the International Coastal Clean Up Day last September 16, 2023 at Julugan Fish Terminal in Tanza, Cavite.

This coastal clean up was not only held to show solidarity with over 100 countries all over the world who have the same goal of clearing beaches and other bodies of water. This activity was also organized in order to provide an avenue for the LS-CET program participants to have a firsthand experience of what a community can do to help in marine and coastal conservation.

Actual picking up of trash along the coastlines was done by the participants. It was then followed by waste segregation and weighing of trash. A whopping 8,073 pieces of trash were collected during the clean up, with plastic beverage bottles as the number one waste along the coastlines. Foam dock pieces, plastic food wrappers, plastic cups and plates, glass bottles, paper cups and plates, lines, nets, traps, ropes, etc., and other plastic items were also among the garbage collected.

The clean up and waste segregation was then followed by a lecture by Mr. Zed Avecilla, the president of Lighthouse Marina Foundation, Inc. His lecture was focused on the importance of marine and coastal ecosystems as well as the various activities that threaten these ecosystems.

The need for conservation efforts as well as assessment methods, sustainable management practices, and community engagement practices were also included in his discussion.

To make the activity more meaningful, participants were given the opportunity to reflect and share their takeaways and realizations from the activity. Participants were also asked to think of ways that they can do to become stewards of the environment.

This coastal clean up was sponsored by Coke and is in partnership with International Coastal Clean Up Philippines, The Lighthouse Marina Resort Legacy Foundation, and Plastic Bank.