OLONGAPO CITY – Some 23,000 volunteers from various organizations and communities across the country recently attended this year’s International Coastal Cleanup (ICC), an annual event organized by SM Cares in collaboration with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, local government units, and the ICC organization as part of their commitment to promoting cleaner seas and oceans.
This year’s ICC took place last Sept. 21 simultaneously in 15 different SM Supermalls across the country, garnering a total of 23,320 participants overall and making it SM’s biggest ICC event yet since joining last 2015.
Every year, tons of garbage wind up in the oceans with at least 60% of that composed of plastic materials.
A total of 135,000 kgs of waste were collected during the recently concluded event, which will then be disposed of through the proper facilities and channels.
In Olongapo, SM City Olongapo Central and SM City Olongapo Downtown joined hands with the local government, DENR-CENRO, disaster risk reduction and management office, environmental sanitation and management office, schools and non-government organizations for the citywide coastal cleanup which was held in Parola, Barangay Kalaklan.
SM Cares is the corporate social responsibility arm of SM Supermalls, responsible for initiatives that promote sustainability and the development of the community. SM Cares’ advocacies include programs on women and breastfeeding mothers, persons with disabilities, senior citizens, and children and youth, as well as the bike-friendly SM initiative, in addition to its programs on the environment.
Meanwhile, volunteers from locator companies, community groups and departments of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority fanned out to eight points along the shoreline here to collect mostly plastic wastes and other debris that were washed ashore after the recent heavy rains.
Most of the trash washed ashore were plastic bottles, styrofoam cups, food packets, rubber slippers, face masks and plastic bags.
