Volunteers who arrived in droves at the Doljo Beach in Panglao for the International Coastal Cleanup Day collected 2,300 kilos of trash in just two hours of cleanup operations along the over kilometer-long coastline on Saturday last week.
The activity, which was observed worldwide, drew a whopping 2,651 volunteers including 55 underwater divers at the Doljo Beach, said Al Anthony Ladaga, marketing and communications officer of the The Bellevue Resort, which was one of the event’s organizers.
In 2018, the same event at the area was participated by 338 volunteers.
“We invited certified scuba divers and free-diver volunteers to take part in an underwater cleanup and shoreline volunteers to help round up trash from the bottom of Doljo Beach. We also hosted environmental awareness talks after cleanup to help further educate the members of our community,” said Ladaga.
The cleanup drive was set in motion by the resort together with Ocean Conservancy, Plastic-Free Bohol, Scotty’s Action Sports Network Philippines and the Municipality of Panglao.
Actual cleanup operations were held from 7 a.m. until 9 a.m. and segregation of the kilos of collected garbage was conducted from 9 a.m until 10 a.m.
Volunteers from various government agencies, schools and private organizations and walk-in participants trooped to the beach to pitch in.
The event was also participated by well-known Youtube vloggers Zowie Palliaer and Carson Moody, popularly known as Bisayang Hilaw.
“We are grateful all the organizations, educational institutions, and private sectors that partnered with us and all local and foreign volunteers for joining this year’s largest International Coastal Cleanup in Bohol,” Ladaga said.
Meanwhile, the collected garbage were transported by two dump trucks of the Panglao local government unit to the Albur Sanitary Landfill in Alburquerque town.
The massive garbage collection at Doljo Beach was only one of many cleanup drives held across Bohol and the rest of the country on September 21.
At the tourist island of Balicasag, the provincial government also led cleanup operations.
Here’s the full list of organizations and offices which joined the cleanup drive at the Doljo Beach:
GOVERNMENT
- Municipality of Panglao
- Department of Toursim VII – Bohol Satellite Office
- Barangay Doljo
- Philippine Navy (Hukbong Dagat in Pilipinas)
- Philippine Coast Guard – Bohol
- CAAP Bohol-Panglao International Airport
- Philippine National Police – Bohol
- BFP / Bureau of Fire Protection – Bohol
- Civil Service Commission – Bohol
- RHU Loboc
- Rajah Sikatuna Eagle Club
SCHOOLS
- Cristal e-College
- University of Bohol
- Holy Name University
- Bohol Northwestern Colleges
- Doljo Elementary School
- GreAtMinds Leadership Academy
- STEPS Missionary School
- Biking Technical Vocational High School – Campus Ministry Student Catholic Action
- PMI
HOSPITALITY
- The Bellevue Resort
- Modala Resort and Moadto Strip
- Royal Palms Dos
- Bohol Casa Niño
ORGS/ ASSOCIATIONS & OTHER PRIVATE COMPANIES
- Plastic-Free Bohol
- Bohol Bankers Association
- Diocesan Commission on Youth, Diocese of Tagbilaran
- Rotary Club of Panglao Island
- Suzuki Raider Bohol
- Toyota Tagbilaran City
- P&K Hue Dev’l Corp
- Sunlife of Canada
- Spooks Troop
- CPG Construction Corp
- Beautiful horizon Inc.
- Josie International Travels
- Life Philippines Foundation
- MLhuiller Panglao
- Bohol Bike Kings
- Future 21 Realty
- Bohol Raider150 United
UNDERWATER
- Eden Dive
- Sol Dive
- Castleking Dive
- Lucky Clover Dive
- Blue Revival Diving
- Philippine Coast Guard – Bohol