ANTIQUE – More than 600 volunteers, including government personnel and residents, gathered in Belison town on Saturday, September 19, to remove plastic waste and marine debris from local shorelines as part of this year’s International Coastal Cleanup.
Organized by the Provincial Government of Antique through the Office of the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer (OPENRO), in partnership with the Municipal Government of Belison, the cleanup targeted the coastal stretches of barangays Poblacion, Ipil, and Salvacion.
Gov. Paolo Javier expressed gratitude to the volunteers and participating agencies for their commitment to marine preservation and environmental protection.
“This is our shared responsibility. Every effort we make today helps protect our coastlines for the next generation,” he stated.
OPENRO head Ma. Vivian Marfil commended the community’s strong involvement, stressing that protecting bodies of water should extend beyond annual cleanup events.
“Dapat regular practice kag habit kang tanan nga household,” Marfil said, calling on barangay officials and households to adopt environmental stewardship into their daily routines.
Marfil added that continuous information and education campaigns are underway across Antique barangays to educate residents on proper solid waste management.
The event aligns with Presidential Proclamation No. 470, which designates the third Saturday of September as International Coastal Cleanup Day in the Philippines, as well as Antique’s Provincial Ordinance No. 2019-191, which promotes coastal and marine protection across the province./PN
