President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. called on local government units (LGUs) to participate in the nationwide cleanup drive dubbed the “Kalinisan sa Bagong Pilipinas”, launched sometime in January 2024, and he emphasized that the changes the Filipinos want for the country must start in the villages, as he stated that: “Let our barangays be the laboratory of workable ideas, a showcase of what we can achieve together, and proof that the basic government unit, the barangay, teems with best practices. Simulan po natin sa kaayusan at kalinisan (Let us start with order and cleanliness),” he said. “Filipinos do not deserve dirty, dingy, or dark communities. Kaya kumilos tayo upang gawing maaliwalas at malinis ang ating kapaligiran. Dapat walang lugar, ni puwang, ang dumi, dugyot, at dilim sa ating pamayanan (So let’s act to make our environment comfortable and clean. There should be no place, no space, for dirt, dust, and darkness in our community).”
When the Metro Manila area experienced floods of biblical proportions, last month, one of the causes cited was the presence of tons of garbage clogging the waterways. Does our local government units take cognizance of this event, as a reminder of what might happen if there are large amounts of garbage blocking the waterways?
Every resident in a community should take it, as a personal responsibility to keep the neighborhood tidy as a clean community inspires a sense of pride and unity among its members.. And this is achieve through locally organized regular clean-up events. When each resident spent just one hour today picking up trash, thousands of pieces of trash, would be removed, beautifying the area while also protecting wildlife, plant life, waterways, soil and ecosystems from toxic and dangerous chemicals and materials.
There should be conscious and concerted effort at the barangay level, in coordination and cooperation of local authorities, neighborhood associations, or concerned individuals to promote and educate the residents about the use of designated trash bins and recycling facilities, and providing convenient recycling such as the segregation of the different types of waste, such as paper, plastic, cans, and glass.
BBM added that the country would succeed in addressing waste mismanagement if Filipinos adopt the habit of not littering and seeking a “clean and green” community”. “Government will do as much as it can, but it can only do so much. We cannot deploy sweepers who will follow each citizen around and pick up every trash that is thrown,”.
As the summer season draws to a close, beach are littered, so, clean-ups are essential for several reasons:
Marine Life Protection: Debris in our ocean poses a grave threat to marine creatures. Many ingest or become entangled in plastic and other waste, leading to injuries or death.
Conservation: Removing trash is vital to maintaining their balance, ensuring the survival of various species and the overall health of these environments .
Preventing Pollution: Litter on the beach can easily find its way into the ocean, contributing to widespread pollution. Human Health: Polluted beaches can harm human health. Trash and pollutants can contaminate the water and affect the safety of seafood harvested from these areas. This contamination can lead to health issues, including cancer, in marine life and humans.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!
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