PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan (PIA) — The city government of Puerto Princesa gears up for the continuation this year of its “Save the Bay Puerto Princesa” program as part of an effort to clean up different coastal areas in the city.
Assistant City Administrator Carlo Abogado said that the 14th episode of the program will be in Barangay Mandaragat to also assist the community with the garbage dumped in the coastal area blown by the northeast monsoon or amihan.
The activity is set to be conducted on Saturday morning, March 22.
“Dahil parang tumigil tayo last year due to several events we have in the city, medyo naantala din for this year dahil we had MIMAROPA Festival, Balayong Festival or the founding anniversary of Puerto Princesa,” he said.
The cleanup drive includes mud ball throwing and Scoop Basura, wherein the most collected number of floating and marine debris will receive cash prizes.
The contest for most collected trash, called Scoop Basura, is open for men in uniform and government employees, barangay teams, and schools, universities, and colleges.
Each team will be given three hours to collect as much trash as possible within the designated area. The team that collects at least 100 full bins will emerge as the champion and receive a prize of P20,000. If the group exceeds the required volume, they can have an additional P20,000 cash prize.
The first prize, with at least 80 full bins, will have P15,000, while the second prize, with at least 70 full bins, will win P10,000. Participants with at least 30 full bins will receive a consolation prize of P3,000.
“Last time ang ating requirement ay minimal lang, wala pa three hours ay nakokolekta na ng contestants natin. Ngayon ay mag-aangat lang tayo ng number of bins,” Scoop Basura project coordinator Drew Manlawe said.
The Save the Bay Puerto Princesa program has collected 571.44 tons from its 13 episodes in 2023, and it is the third time for Barangay Mandaragat to host the program.
Barangay Captain Lha Gallo said the city government’s program has inspired the barangay council to conduct its weekly coastal cleanup drive.
Even though there is still garbage collected from the area, some locals are now able to fish tilapia, which Gallo sees as a gradual development out of the collective effort.
“Mas hindi dumarami ang tambak na basura. Kung hindi kami nagka-conduct ng coastal cleanup, madadagdagan ‘yon,” she said.
The program is also intended not just to save the coastal areas of the city particularly polluted by garbage for the benefit of the next generations. (RG/PIA MIMAROPA-Palawan)
