Mayor Rommel del Rosario spearheaded the recent coastal clean-up in Bagac, Bataan in observance of the International Clean-Up Day. (PNA photo)
Bagac, Bataan — The International Coastal Clean-up Day was observed in the seven coastal villages and all the 14 barangays of this town with some 20,000 people participating, the biggest so far.
A parade kicked off the event where some 8,000 joined from the Philippine–Japan Friendship Tower and ending at the town plaza.
After the parade, the “One Bagac for Zero Plastic” project was also launched where Mayor Rommel Del Rosario, environment officers, and ordinary citizens ceremonially deposit used plastic bottles inside a big fish container.
The mayor bared that the massive clean-up of seven seaside villages followed the launch, while simultaneously, around 12,000 residents cleaned up their respective barangays.
Joining the event were employees from the Philippine National Police, Philippine Coast Guard, Bureau of Fire Protection, civic organizations, senior citizens’ group, schools, religious organizations, and barangay, municipal and provincial officials, workers and villagers.
The mayor stressed, “Tigilan na ang pagsira sa kabundukan, karagatan at pagtatapon kung saan-saan lamang ng mga basura sa upland papunta sa karagatan.”
Del Rosario said that while houses that are within 20 meters from the highest tide were dismantled, houses and beach resorts were asked to install septic tanks following the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) standards to ensure that only clean water goes to the sea.
Meanwhile, the mayor will target next the rivers as he said “Pagkatapos nitong dagat, pagkatapos ng bayan, lahat naman ng ilog isusunod natin”.
Del Rosario also bared that he will make Bagac smoke free as he himself started to give up his chain smoking habit. (Jojo Mangahis)