editorial team
Last weekend, from July 6-8, 6,000 youth delegates from around the world converged at the World Trade Center in Pasay City for Genfest 2018, an avenue for young people to show that a united world is possible. The Genfest is organized by the Youth for a United World, youth members of the Focolare Movement.
During the Day 2 of Genfest 2018, youth delegates, in partnership with Bukas Palad Foundation and other organizations, participated in Hands for Humanity, a series of activities where participants will bring random acts of kindness in different parts of the city including the coastal clean up at the Las Pinas-Paranaque Critical Habitat and Ecotourism Area (LPPCHEA).
Yearly, thousands of tons of garbage winds up in the oceans, with 60% of that being composed of plastic material. Trash in the water impacts the world on many levels, including harming wildlife, humans, and impacting the livelihood of those who work on the ocean. Plastics are very hazardous to marine life, killing more than a million birds and over 100,000 seals, turtles, and whales, and an immense number of fish in our ocean. It also causes economic damage by affecting tourism and recreation and the money they bring into those communities that are the ocean shore.
Known as the ‘last bastion’ in Metro Manila, LPPCHEA, a 175-hectare mangrove forest and marine habitat in Las Piñas and Paranaque. The area is covered with mangroves, ponds and lagoons, mudflats, salt marshes, and mixed beach forests. LPPCHEA has global importance to biodiversity as it serves as sanctuary for dozens of bird species, including migratory birds from as far as Siberia. It is also a resting area for the globally threatened Philippine duck and Chinese egret.
Over the years, the volume of trash along the area of LPPCHEA has decreased almost significantly, thanks to the help of all involved so far. However, with the recent storms that arise, it brought back the waste littering along the coast of LPPCHEA.
Aside from students coming from different schools, the participants in the cleanup also came from the volunteers from various sectors like the Coca Cola Philippines, who also picked up garbage from the shore in the LPPCHEA.
At its core, Coca-Cola is committed to an aspiration of zero waste. The company believes that by recovering more packaging, less will be discarded as litter, which in turn will help reduce the likelihood of discarded packaging ending up in streams, rivers and oceans. As a company, Coca-Cola intend to achieve this goal by helping improve local collection and recycling programs, raising consumer awareness and supporting the adoption of improved waste management practices. Thousands of Coca-Cola system associates also regularly pitch in by participating in coastal cleanups.
Coastal cleanup activities encourage us to get out to our beaches and help to limit this problem by cleaning up the garbage that has washed up on shore, and that left by visitors every day. Empowering people to take an active role in the preservation and cleaning up of the ocean are important parts of helping conservation of the ocean.
Truly impressed by the number of enthusiastic people who joined the event at LPPCHEA, great recognition to the volunteers around the world, the LPPCHEA coastal cleanup has become a beacon of hope, leading and inspiring action in support of our ocean.
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