More than 3,000 sacks of garbage have been collected in the city’s shores in the month of August, City Hall said.
Ancillary Services Unit (ASU) chief Paul Bermejo said the Bantay Dagat team, a group of volunteers who cleaned the coastal areas of the city and organize volunteers for the regular Saturday clean up, was able to get 3,147 sacks of garbage in August.
Bermejo, according to the City Information Office, said this is the biggest volume collected so far, higher than the 2,066 sacks of garbage collected in July.
“Although the increase in garbage collection from the coastlines can be attributed to the (onset of hagabat, it is still an indication that people (continue to) throw their garbage anywhere and (these) ended up in the coastal areas,” Bermejo said.
With the alarming increase of garbage volume in the coast, city officials called on Davaoeños, especially residents in coastal areas, “to clean surroundings and throw garbage properly.”
Bermejo also called on the residents in the coastal areas to actively participate in cleanups instead of just waiting for volunteers.
“They should not wait for our coastal clean up every Saturday, they should make it a daily habit to clean their surroundings,” he said.
Bermejo also encouraged the public to participate in the International Clean Up Day set on Sept. 21 along with the Bantay Dagat team and other volunteers.
“Let us all come out and start cleaning. This is not only the concern of the city government but by everyone,” he said.
