2300 kilos of trash collected in massive Panglao clean-up

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