Cebu City to lead province-wide clean-up on Saturday

Coastal clean-up on December 5, 2020. | Photo Courtesy of Cebu City PIO

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu City Coastal Management Task Force (CMTF) will be leading a province-wide coastal and riverways clean-up on Saturday, June 19, 2021. 

According to Reymar Hijarra, the subcommittee chairperson of the CMTF, the participation of the Archdiocese of Cebu has increased the scope of the regular clean-up of Cebu City. 

“Ang mga parishes sa atong Archdiocese of Cebu moparticipate sila sa ilang areas as one Cebu island,” said Hijarra.

The clean-up will begin around 5:30 a.m. with a short launching at the South Road Properties (SRP) and will last approximately two to three hours simultaneously all over the province.

In Cebu City alone, there are at least 11 focus points including the Mahiga Creek near the Innodata, a portion of Kamputhaw River at Tinago-Tejero Bridge, a portion of Kamputhaw River near T. Padilla Market, Ermita Coast, Guadalupe River Mouth, Pasil Coast, and Sawang Calero portion of Guadalupe River near Pahina San Nicolas Barangay Hall.

Other areas include another portion of Guadalupe River near University of San Carlos (USC)-South in Sambag, a portion of Kamputhaw River at Sudlon Bridge, Arabal River at Kinalumsan Bridge in Mambaling, a portion of Kinalumsan River near Tisa Elementary School, South Road Properties (SRP) tower; and Il Corso coast.

Hijarra said they expect 2,000 to 3,000 volunteers from their partner groups and organizations. The number is limited to comply with health protocols set for Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ) areas like Cebu.

The volunteers are asked to wear masks and face shields; bring gloves, sacks, rakes or shovels, and boots; and also bring water for hydration.

Volunteers are also asked to register as well so that they will be accounted for and no crowding will happen in the focus areas.

Heavy equipment will assist volunteers in waterways where the trash is considered the heaviest including the river mouths and downtown creeks.

A squad of divers will also be helping the city again by diving at the Mactan Channel along the SRP coast to get the trash and check the aquatic ecosystem in the area as they had in the past three coastal clean-ups.

Hijarra said the 4th coastal clean-up is also in line with Environment Day, which was celebrated on June 5, 2021, in hopes to remind the public to take care of the environment amid the ongoing pandemic.

The CMTF hopes that even those who did not register for the coastal clean-up would take the opportunity to clean up their surrounding canals and waterways.     /rcg