(Photo grabbed from news.abs-cbn.com)
MARIVELES, Bataan – The provincial office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources described the launching in Bataan Sunday of the “Battle of Manila Bay” or the rehabilitation of the premiere bay as successful.
Provincial environment and natural resources officer Raul Mamac said the launching was more than successful. He said that they were asking for only 1,000 participants but more than 1,600 volunteered and joined the clean-up in Lucanin, one of the seaside villages here.
The participants from government agencies and the private sector carrying shovels, brooms, empty sacks and other cleaning materials trooped to the shoreline and collected garbage of various forms.
Mamac said not all the garbage collected were wastes from Bataan. “Sa impormasyon na nakuha natin, kapag panahon ng amihan itinatatapon ang basura sa Bataan ng dagat pero kapag habagat naman parang Bataan naman ang nagbibigay ng basura sa dagat,” he said.
Manila Bay has a shoreline of 192 kilometers spanning in Metro Manila, Bulacan, Pampanga, Cavite and Bataan. More than 40 kilometers are in Bataan.
Asked where the garbage came from, 2nd District Rep. Jose Enrique Garcia III answered “Siguro galing yan sa iba’t-ibang probinsiya at sa mga bayan na nakapaligid sa Manila Bay kaya mahalaga na sama-sama kasi hindi kaya ng iisang bayan.”
Informed that some fishermen have noticed barges unloading garbage in Manila Bay, the congressman said the matter has to be investigated.
Aniano Emberso, a 59-yearold fisherman, said wastes along the shoreline of Bataan did not come from the province alone. “Nasalubong ko isang gabi ang isang barge na akayakay ng tugboat. Akala ko dumadaan lang, yon pala basura ang ibinubuhos sa dagat,” he said.
“Napakaganda. Ang isda maliligtas sa basura,” the fisherman said when asked what he can say about the clean-up drive.
Early in the morning, volunteers participated in the solidarity walk. They then waited for the program in Pasay City to start and later joined other participants in separate launching centers in Bulacan, Pampanga and Cavite in the pledge of commitment.
Mariveles Mayor Ace Jello Concepcion provided dumptrucks to haul the garbage collected.
