Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Regional Office VI, together with its District Engineering Offices (DEOs), participated in this year’s celebration of International Coastal Clean-up Day, with the theme: “Tayo ang Solusyon sa Polusyon.”
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Regional Office VI spearheaded the activity which was attended by various National Government Agencies (NGAs), Non-Government Organizations (NGOs), Local Government Units (LGUs), academic institutions and other environment protectors.
A total of 150 employees from the DPWH Regional Office, along with personnel from Iloilo First and Iloilo City DEOs cleaned along the 5-kilometer coastline stretching from Brgy. Sto. Nino in Arevalo District to Brgy. Calumpang in Molo District, specifically from Brgy. Chapel to Coke Depot.
The group segregated the biodegradable and non-biodegradable from the 60 sacks of garbage collected and turned them over to the DENR for disposal.
Meanwhile, the DPWH Negros Third DEO cleaned roughly 2.1 kilometers along the coastal area of Brgy. Isio Cauayan town, where 87 deployed employees gathered 61 sacks of garbage and waste materials, mostly debris of coconut and bamboo, with an estimated weight of 753 kilograms.
The International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) Day is pursuant to Presidential Proclamation No. 470, series of 2003, declaring every third Saturday of September of every year as International Coastal Cleanup Day in observance of the Global Coastal Clean-up celebration, wherein DPWH joins the nation in celebration of the said event to promote better ocean health and environmental consciousness.