In celebration of International Coastal Clean-up (ICC) 2021 with the theme “Understand and Beat Marine Pollution”, CENRO Calaca conducted coastal clean-up in three (3) barangays in Calaca, Batangas on September 18, 2021.

The activity was participate by selected personnel of CENRO Calaca, representatives from Calaca MENR Office, barangay officials and residents of three (3) barangays in Calaca specifically Brgy. Putting Bato West, Quizumbing and Sinisian. Considering operational limitations due to government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and to properly observe the health and safety protocols, the cleanups were conducted in small groups wherein each barangay is only limited to 10 participants and only those fully vaccinated two (2) weeks prior to the activity joined the activity.

The program was conducted in Sitio Kababalo, Brgy Puting Bato West, Calaca Batangas. It started with the registration of the participants and short a program. The prayer was led by a representative from the BHW followed by a message from the representative of the MENR Office of Calaca, as he acknowledged all the participants for participating/ joining the event.

This was further followed an IEC lecture that was conducted by For. Karen Sotomango Forest Technician I/Information Officer. She explained the origin of the International Coastal clean-up and how it became the largest volunteer activity and she mentioned the purpose of the activity which aims to engaged the people around the world to remove trash and debris from beach and waterways. She also discussed the theme “Understand and Beat Marine Pollution”, concerning to the large number of plastic wastes being thrown to the ocean resulting to threats to marine animals such as pawikan. Before the clean -up starts, she discussed the using "Clean Swell" application to be used  for data collection.

Most of the trash collected were plastic bottles, plastic sachets and diapers. 10 sacks of trash were collected in Sition Kababalo Brgy. Putting Bato West, 10 sacks in Brgy Quizumbing and 30 sacks id Brgy. Sinisian. A total of 50 sacks were collected in 3 kilometers shoreline in Calaca, Batangas. These was picked-up by the Calaca LGU dump truck for proper waste disposal. ###