The simultaneous coastal cleanup drive in the Caraga Region has so far collected 3,069 kilograms of trash composed of plastics, bottles and other non-biodegradable materials.

A total of 3,255 volunteers began the activity on Friday, participated in by representatives of government agencies, local government units and the private sector.

“The simultaneous activities were in line with the observance of the 2022 International Coastal Cleanup Day,” the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Caraga said in a statement Sunday.

This year’s theme is “Fighting for Trash-Free Seas: Pilipinas Ending the Flow of Trash at the Source”.

Proclamation No. 470 in 2003 declares the third Saturday of September each year as the International Coastal Clean-up (ICC) day in observance of the global coastal cleanup celebrations.

The ICC is a global initiative since 1986 by The Ocean Conservancy, a non-governmental organization based in Washington, D.C., together with the Environment Protection Agency.

The Philippines joined the ICC in 1994 with the International Maritime Alliance as the country coordinator.

In Butuan City, Agusan del Norte the cleanup drive conducted along the coastline of Barangay Lumbocan gathered 454 kg of waste; Bislig City, Surigao del Sur volunteers collected 1,560 kg; and Tubay, also in Agusan del Norte, had 37 sacks of non-biodegradable wastes.

Some 24 kilometers of coastlines in the towns of Cantilan, Carrascal, Madrid, Carmen, Lanuza, and Cortes in Surigao del Sur were likewise cleaned up. (PNA)