A paddler retrieves trash in Ayala Land’s “Paddle for the Planet” coastal cleanup event. contributed photo
Paddlers across the Cebu province pooled their efforts for the annual “Paddle for the Planet” movement in the mangrove shores of Seagrove, Ayala Land’s leisure estate in Mactan Island, Cebu.
Paddle for the Planet is a global event inviting paddlers around the world for one official day to paddle. This is an effort to raise environmental awareness by giving back to the oceans.
Buzzy Budlong, a renowned Visayan paddler and owner of Island Buzz Philippines, was one of the volunteers who organized this paddling and coastal clean-up event.
“This was a very fun way for us to give back to our oceans. It was such a great experience to paddle around the mangroves since they are very important to our ecosystem and this is something unique to Seagrove. We hope we made an impact in our own way to spread the word on the importance of protecting our oceans,” Budlong said.
Seagrove is a 14-hectare coastal project that will be developed into a sustainable mixed-use estate. It is envisioned to be a future tourist and eco fun destination given its varied outdoor recreation components.
In line with Ayala Land’s commitment to environmental conservation and sustainability, Vera Alejandria, Division Manager of Community Relations, CSR and Sustainability also shared, “We are extremely grateful to all the hardworking volunteers who shared our passion and took part in cleaning up our shores. With our natural ecosystems as the first line of defense against extreme weather conditions, we all have a responsibility to be aware and be involved, to help shape the market in terms of protecting and conserving our marine and coastal ecosystem.”
Paddlers were welcomed with a short program before taking off to the waters for the paddling and surface cleanup activity.
Some of the topics discussed during the event were considered important to climate resilience and in raising the standard of sustainable living in the communities, such as practicing responsible recreation, reducing the use of plastic that usually ends up in the oceans, and opportunities to volunteer in cleanup activity.