Coastal clean-up on December 5, 2020. | Photo Courtesy of Cebu City PIO
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu City Department of Public Services (DPS) reported a total collection of 41.6 tons of garbage during the clean-up drive done today (December 5, 2020) in the coastal and river areas in Cebu City.
The city government conducted another coastal clean-up as a step to institutionalizing the drive and making it a quarterly activity for the city.
The garbage was collected within one hour and thirty minutes, as the time allowed to do such activities were limited by the Interagency Task Force (IATF).
Reymar Hijara, the subcommittee chairperson for operations of the Cebu City Coastal Management Task Force (CMT), said the volunteers did not start simultaneously allowing some areas to extend the clean-up beyond 7:30 a.m.
The teams were stationed at the Mahiga and Tejero Creeks including the Tejero Bridge; the mouth of the Guadalupe River, along the coastal areas of Pasil, Mambaling, and the South Road Properties (SRP); and the river systems passing through Sawang Calero and Colon Street.
Approximately 2,500 volunteers joined the clean-up drive on Saturday aided by heavy equipment from the city’s Department of Engineering and Public Works (DEPW).
The DPS reported that of the 41.6 tons of garbage collected, the majority of these were plastic bottles and styrofoam.
Furthermore, a team of divers, including a marine biologist from Cebu Technological University’s Integrated Coastal Resources Management (CTU-ICRM) Center, took the time to check the coral reefs at Campanario Shoal along the South Road Properties (SRP).
Mayor Edgardo Labella said the team will be submitting a report regarding their findings by next week.
“Our city’s urban development has been progressive over the years, with the reclamation of the SRP and the ongoing construction of a third bridge. That is why I am both glad and relieved to hear that certain people are still looking for our coral reefs amid the hustle and bustle of urban activities so that we can look after what is left of them as well,” said Labella.
The mayor expressed his support for the initiative to revive the marine ecosystem of the city and improve the marine life of seas around the city.
Here are some of the photos of the Saturday clean-up drive courtesy of the Cebu City PIO and the CMT:
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