TABINA, Zamboanga del Sur (PIA) – In compliance with the 2023 key result areas for Ecological Solid Waste Management (ESWM), the local government unit (LGU), this town, in coordination with Environmental Management Bureau (EMB)-9 conducted the third quarterly clean-up and technical assistance last August 15, 2023.
This initiative aimed to address the prevalent litter in land, riverine, and marine environments, constituting an integral part of the “Bayan Ko, Linis Ko” program, and to spread awareness and participation from the barangays to be involved in ESWM matters.
An innovative approach to marine pollution mitigation, the “SCUBASURERO” initiative, took center stage during the event. The term is a wordplay between scuba and basurero (waste collector), an activity that utilizes scuba diving abilities to retrieve marine debris and waste from the ocean floor. It aims to maintain a healthy marine environment and save marine organisms from the harms that solid waste and debris might cause.
Mayor Anthony Dayondon highlighted the importance of diving skills. “Diving is an essential skill that should be acquired in the municipality, especially to those that are assigned in the Municipal Disaster Risk Management Office (MDRRMO), since half of the municipality is made up of coastal barangays,” he said.
The program has become a staple activity in the locality of Tabina, as it is their way of protecting the ocean, a dominant source of the communities’ livelihood. The undertaking was conducted along the shores of barangay Poblacion and Malim, and the open waters within the town’s area of jurisdiction. (NBE/HTB/MBP-GIP/PIA9-Zamboanga del Sur/with reports from EMB9)
