INTERNATIONAL COASTAL CLEAN-UP CELEBRATION 2022
“Fighting for Trash Free Seas – Pilipinas: Ending the Flow of Trash at the Source”
September 2022
Every third Saturday of September has been declared as the ICC Day in the Philippines pursuant to Presidential Proclamation No. 470, series of 2003 declaring the third Saturday of September as the International Coastal Clean-up (ICC) day and Presidential Proclamation No. 244, series of 1993 declaring September of every year as the National Clean-up Month in the Philippines. With this year’s theme: “Fighting for Trash Free Seas – Pilipinas: Ending the Flow of Trash at the Source”, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Region X spearheaded the said celebration with the goal of minimizing trash in the coast and increasing the public’s knowledge on how to stop the flow of trash to the waterways in their own homes.
Coastal and underwater clean-up activities, Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) campaigns, turn-over of Marine Protected Area (MPA) buoys, and promoting behavioral transformation aimed towards changing practices that harm marine animals and the people through collaborative partnerships with National Government Agencies (NGAs), private sectors, Barangay Local Government Units (BLGUs), and the City LGU in Cagayan de Oro City were conducted in Region X.
A. Hanging of Streamers
ICC streamers made of tarpapel and cloth bearing the theme of the year’s ICC celebration were hung in the conspicuous space of the different DENR Offices premises – Regional Office, PENROs, and CENROs – to inform and enjoin the public to the ICC Celebration.
The PENRO Misamis Occidental, Baliangao Protected Landscape and Seascape – Protected Area Management Office (PAMO), and the CENRO Ozamiz hung streamers made of cloth in its respective Offices on September 17, 2022 while PENRO Camiguin distributed ICC streamers to its BLGUs and five Municipal LGUs (Mambajao, Catarman, Guinsiliban, Sagay, and Mahinog) to promote the event province-wide.
Hanging of tarpapel in front of the Provincial Capitol of Camiguin (left) and at CENRO Ozamiz Office (right).
In order to prepare the City Government of Cagayan de Oro City and its 12 coastal barangays for the simultaneous coastal clean-up activity on September 17, 2022, the Coastal Resources and Foreshore Management Section (CRFMS) of Conservation and Development Division (CDD) facilitated a series of preparatory meetings on September 1 and 13, 2022 via Google Meet per Regional Special Order (RSO) No. 2022-09456 and 2022-09457.
On September 1, 2022, a total of 52 participants attended the meeting from the following Offices: DENR-X Regional Divisions (Conservation and Development Division, Licenses, Patents, and Deeds Division, Planning and Management Division, Finance Division, Administrative Division, Legal Division, Enforcement Division, and Surveys and Mapping Division) and Line Bureaus (Mines and Geosciences Bureau, and Environmental Management Bureau), PENRO Misamis Oriental, CENRO Initao, the coastal barangays of Cagayan de Oro City, the City Local Environment and Natural Resources Office (CLENRO), Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Philippine Army (PA):4th Infantry Division, Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Department of Tourism (DOT), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and Pepsi-Cola Products Philippines, Inc.
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| Attendees of the “Preparatory Meeting for the Simultaneous Coastal Cleanup” conducted on September 1, 2022. |
Highlights of the meeting include the overview of lined-up activities to celebrate the ICC, designated clean-up sites, site coordinators and participating sectors, clean-up protocol, documentation of trash data using the Ocean Trash Data Form of the Ocean Conservancy and reporting of ICC data per barangay to the Adoptive Monitoring and Evaluation System (AMES).
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| Deputy Chief, CDD, Mercedita G. Barbarona presents the rationale, objectives, and expected outputs of the meeting (left); and Ms. Shaira Aima B. Ambola introduces the Ocean Trash Data Form of the Ocean Conservancy to the participants (right). | |
All designated site coordinators were tasked to closely coordinate with their respective BLGU’s focal person, facilitate a short briefing program, and distribute and collect the filled-up Ocean Trash Data Forms from the participants after the coastal clean-up activity in order to document the trash data collected. Further, all BLGU’s focal persons were required to maximize the use of the AMES platform for the submission of its Trash Form online, as part of the AMES operation.
Adoptive Monitoring and Evaluation System (AMES) is an online repository system that is a home-grown initiative of the Coastal Resources and Foreshore Management Section (CRFMS) of the Conservation and Development Division (CDD). AMES was developed to provide a monitoring report system for the sustainable implementation of the DENR Challenge for Change: CDO Limpyo Dagat Initiative (CCP: CLDI). Coastal clean-up events and trash data collected by each coastal BLGU in Cagayan de Oro City are being monitored in the AMES, including the BLGUs innovations or other activities supporting the CCP: CLDI implementation.
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| Operation process of uploading the BLGU’s report to the AMES platform as discussed by Mr. Kim Peter P. Galve. |
On September 13, 2022, the CRFMS convened the designated Regional Division’s site coordinators to level off the facilitation needed for the successful conduct of the simultaneous coastal clean-up on September 17, 2022.
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| DENR Coordinators Briefing facilitated by Mr. Jayrald R. Santamina of CRFMS on September 13, 2022, held at the DENR Conference Room. |
It was agreed that all site coordinators shall immediately report to the CRFMS the ICC data collected in their respective site after the clean-up activity on September 17, 2022, for consolidation and update to the Regional Executive Director using the template below:
Table 1. Template for the consolidated data to be submitted to the CRFMS focal person.
The following are the DENR-X Regional Divisions, PENRO Misamis Oriental, and CENRO Initao Site Coordinators for the clean-up event in CDO City:
Table 2. Clean-up assignment, designated coordinators, and their respective Offices.
C. Coastal and Underwater (SCUBAsurero) Clean-up Activities in Dampil MPA, Lagonglong, Misamis Oriental
A composite team of divers from the DENR-X Regional Office, PENRO Misamis Oriental, and CENRO Gingoog, in coordination with the Bantay Dagat and Barangay Council of Dampil, conducted an underwater coastal clean-up activity in the Dampil MPA, Lagonglong, Misamis Oriental on September 7, 2022. While the said activity is taking place, a shoreline clean-up activity was also mobilized by the other Team participated by the coastal residents and Barangay Health Committee.
In approximately three-hour clean-up activities, a total of six (6) sacks of garbage were collected by 30 participants within the 100-meter coastal stretch and 0.05 km2 of Dampil MPA. Majority of the 25.8 kg total waste collected consists of most likely found items (82%) with a total of 396 pieces, trash under other items/debris (8%) with 39 pieces, packaging materials (3%) with a total of 16 pieces (see Figure 1).
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| Ms. Haskell Anne R. Distajo shared that International Coastal Clean-up Month will engage people to remove trash from the seas and waterways. She highlighted that the support of the coastal communities will help in cleaning up the coastal waters and taking care of the beaches (up). The coastal community of Barangay Dampil collected five sacks filled with 21.8 kilograms of trash which include single-use plastics, food wrappers, cigarette butts, slippers, and other plastic materials. (down). |
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| Figure 1. Percentage of trash collected in Barangay Dampil, Lagonglong, Misamis Oriental |
D. Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) Symposium
The DENR-X Regional Office, through the CRFMS personnel, conducted an IEC Symposium at the Covered Court of Barangay Dampil, Lagonglong, Misamis Oriental on September 8, 2022. The symposium aimed to educate the youth on the current state of the ocean and mobilize them to participate in activities related to the protection of the Dampil Marine Protected Area.
A total of 17 youths (8 male and 9 female) attended the symposium. The main agenda presented in the symposium were the youth’s ability to save the environment; the ways in which the youth can protect the environment such as going green in their own homes and schools, adopting the 4Rs (refuse, reduce, re-use, recycle), leading an environmentally conscious lifestyle, and tapping into social media as influencers; and the challenges of empowering the youth. As a result, the youth expressed their commitment to be a youth brigade for the protection of the Dampil Marine Protected Area.
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| Fifteen (15) youth members from Barangay Dampil (left) as they listened to the lecture of the Deputy Chief, CDD, and Concurrent Chief, CRFMS Mercedita G. Barbarona (right). | |
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| The pledge of commitment was signed by the 15 youth members of Barangay Dampil on September 8, 2022. |
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| The youth members with the Barangay Dampil Chairperson, Hon. Roxanne Oran with some members of the Barangay Council during the IEC program on September 8, 2022. |
E. Turn-over of MPA Buoys for the Demarcation of the Dampil MPA
To give support to the protection of the Dampil Marine Protected Area, the DENR X Regional Office turned over 25 MPA buoys to the Barangay Council of Dampil. These buoys were allocated to the Barangay in response to their request for the buoys to the Dampil Marine Protected Area as boundary markers.
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| On behalf of the DENR-X, Deputy Chief, CDD and Concurrent Chief, CRFMS Mercedita G. Barbarona and EMS II Jayrald Santamina turned over the MPA buoys to the Barangay Council of Dampil on September 8, 2022. |
F. Introduction of the “Dahil May Dagat May Ikaw” (DMDMI) Song
To deliver a powerful message through lyrics and music, the Regional Office, through the CRFMS, launched the DMDMI as a new IEC platform to instill behavioral transformation in community stakeholders. First launched on the DENR Northern Mindanao Facebook Page as part of celebrating the CY 2022 Month of the Ocean, the advocacy campaign was also introduced to the youth of Barangay Dampil in Lagonglong, Misamis Oriental on September 8, 2022.
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| Deputy Chief, CDD and Concurrent Chief, CRFMS Mercedita G. Barbarona together with the youth of Barangay Dampil in Lagonglong, Misamis Oriental singing the DMDMI song. | |
The song highlights what the ocean can mean to individuals, what it provides, the challenges it is facing, and what we can do to alleviate it. Through this song, the CRFMS hopes that the youth’s appreciation towards the ocean will deepen, will be more vigorous in acting on the environmental challenges in Barangay Dampil, and share this information in social media, thereby promoting and developing behavioral change in the people.
The full music video is accessible on YouTube through the link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNVIhXgpNw0.
G. Communication, Education, and Public Awareness (CEPA) Activities
a. Series of Presentations/Lectures on Coastal and Marine Ecosystems and Related Programs of the DENR
PENRO Misamis Oriental, in collaboration with its two CENROs Initao and Gingoog City, conducted a CEPA activity on September 13, 2022, in Brgy. Damayuhan, Magsaysay, Misamis Oriental through a series of presentations which include the Presidential Proclamation No. 470, the ecological and economical importance of marine ecosystems, and the programs initiated by the Department addressing the issues and concerns on coastal and marine areas. There were 52 participants from the DENR and Barangay Damayuhan, Magsaysay attended the activity.
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| The BLGU of Brgy. Damayuhan, Magsaysay, Misamis Oriental on September 13, 2022, during the discussion on the importance of marine ecosystems. | |
b. Distribution of IEC Flyers
PENRO Camiguin distributed 150 flyers to the Local Government Units of Mahinog, Guinsiliban, Sagay, and Catarman and IATF checkpoints in the Province on September 15, 2022. Said IEC material highlights solid waste management and the need to sustainably manage the coastal habitats: mangroves, seagrass, and coral reefs, and other biodiversity management services.
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| PENRO Camiguin personnel distributed IEC materials/flyers at the IATF checkpoints in the Municipality of Mahinog (left) and the Office of the LGU of Catarman in Camiguin. | |
H. International Coastal Clean-up (ICC) Day Celebration on September 17, 2022
The DENR Offices throughout Region 10 enjoined 218 sectors from National Government Agencies, LGUs, private companies, religious communities, academic institutions, and local stakeholders to join the simultaneous coastal clean-up activity on September 17, 2022. A total of 4,046 participants collected 1,559 trash bags weighing 30,984.07 kilograms in a 53.409 kilometers distance.
Table 3. Consolidated data of trash collected in Region X during the Simultaneous Coastal Clean-up Activity on September 17, 2022.
A trash data inventory was conducted after the cleanup wherein the majority of the total waste collected consisted of Most Likely to Find Items (60%) with 48,179 pieces, followed by Tiny Trash Less than 2.5cm (12%) with 9,711 pieces, and by Other Items/Debris (10%) with 7,767 pieces (see Figure 2).
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| Figure 2. Percentage of trash collected in Region 10 |
a. DENR-X Regional Office
The Regional Office mobilized the communities in the 12 coastal barangays (Lapasan, Bulua, Macabalan, Gusa, Puntod, Cugman, Tablon, Bayabas, Agusan, Bonbon, Puerto, and Bugo) of Cagayan de Oro City to conduct a simultaneous coastal clean-up activity on September 17, 2022, where a total of 2,050 individuals from 79 different organizations joined the activity.
Prior to the clean-up, a short IEC program was held per barangay to highlight the impact of the event and provide clear instruction on clean-up protocols which were facilitated by the respective clean-up coordinators of the DENR Regional Divisions, the two line Bureaus Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) and Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB), PENRO Misamis Oriental, and CENRO Initao.
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| Dept. Chief, CDD Mercedita G. Barbarona (top left), OIC Chief, CDD Fidel P. Gamos, Jr. (top right), OIC Chief, LPDD Dario P. Barbarona (down left) and CLENRO Armen A. Cuenca during the kick-off program in Brgy. Lapasan, Cagayan de Oro City. | |
Table 4. Clean-up assignment, designated site coordinators and participating sectors in each barangay.
In partnership with the City Government of Cagayan de Oro City, through the City Local Environment and Natural Resources (CLENRO), the cleanup covered a 7.895 km stretch of Cagayan de Oro coastlines with 874 sacks of garbage collected weighing 16,357.8 kg, wherein a majority of the total waste collected comprised of Most Likely to Find Items (65.5%), Other Items/Debris (10.5%) and Packaging Material with (8.7%) (see Figure 3).
The highest data collected comes from Barangay Cugman with 4,752.2 kg of trash collected, followed by Barangay Lapasan with 4,095 kg, and Barangay Puerto with 3,349 kg. Meanwhile, the area with the least amount of trash collected was Barangay Gusa with 41.5 kg (see Table 5).
Table 5. Number of participants and quantity of trash collected in each Barangay
Figure 3. Percentage of trash collected in Cagayan de Oro City
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| The CLENRO Team (in green) picking up trash (left) and some members of the CGM CMA (in white) pulling deeply stuck clothing from the sand (right) in Barangay Lapasan, Cagayan de Oro City. | |
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| The local communities in Barangay Puerto (left) and trash bags collected by the participants (right) | |
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| The local communities in Barangay Puntod (left) and Barangay Tablon (right and bottom) pick up trash on their respective shores. | |
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| Participants from the F2 Logistics Philippines, Inc. (left) and Cagayan de Oro Vocational Institute (right) picking up trash in their respective areas of assignment. | |
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| Footage of some of the collected trash in Barangay Bayabas (left) and the participants from CLENRO, DWD, and EMB cleaning up the shore in Barangay Bugo (right). | |
