Government agencies and civic organizations clean up Manila Bay Saturday, Oct. 5, 2013. The project is part of the 2013 Manila Bay Coastal Clean-up organized by the Manila Bay Sunset Partnership Program, Inc., which is part of the Corporate Social Responsibility program of the government-owned Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP).
MANILA, Philippines – More than 2,000 men, women, and children from all over Metro Manila and surrounding provinces donned rubber gloves, boots, straw hats and brought sacks to clear Manila Bay of garbage.
The 2013 Manila Bay Coastal Clean-up was organized by the Manila Bay Sunset Partnership Program, Inc., which is part of the Corporate Social Responsibility program of the government-owned Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP).
Participating government institutions include the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the City of Manila, Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA), Pamantasang Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM), University of the Philippines – Manila, Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) and the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA).
Private groups include the Manila Yacht Club, Manila Ocean Park, Diamond Hotel and Manila Broadcasting Company.
The MYC and the DENR mobilized boats to pick up floating garbage, while garbage trucks of the MMDA and the Manila City Government received the garbage from the participants.
A large portion of the participants were mobilized by the CDA, the government agency regulating cooperatives. The CDA had invited co-ops to send delegations to the clean-up which marks the beginning of the celebration of the “Cooperative Month” in October.
Nationwide, there are more than 22,555 registered cooperatives with combined memberships reaching 11.6 million individuals.
There are 2,288 co-ops in Metro Manila alone.
At the 2012 celebration of the United Nations International Year of Cooperatives, the CDA had enjoined cooperatives to adopt the theme “Transformative Cooperatives for People, Planet, Prosperity and Peace,” enjoining co-ops to transform communities with the “Four P’s.”
The clean-up began at 6 a.m. “In just three hours, you could see a big difference,” says Cielo Garrido, General Manager of Paranaque City-based San Dionisio Credit Cooperative.
Hundreds volunteer to clean up Manila Bay
Ron B. Lopez, Manila Bulletin, 6 Oct 13;
Private individuals and government workers suffered the heat and the stink of garbage Saturday to help in the annual clean-up of Manila Bay.
Led by Manila Bay SUNSET Partnership Program Inc., the volunteers worked tirelessly in a bid to bring back the ‘old glory’ of the famous Manila Bay. The activity is also in line with the celebration of the National Cooperative Month this October.
Most of the participants are members of the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA), a government agency which handles cooperatives nationally. Both city and provincial members congregated in Manila as early as 6 am to help clean the bay.
Celso Peligrino, a 50-year old taxi driver, was among the volunteer cleaners who told Manila Bulletin he enjoyed his first time to help clean the Manila Bay.
A member of a cooperative for taxi drivers, Peligrino said: “Masaya pala sumali sa ganito, maluwag sa pakiramdam dahil nakakatulong. Nag-enjoy kami, kasi sama sama lahat [I realized it's fun to join this kind of activity, it feels good to help. We enjoyed it as we are all together]”.
Members of the Community Service Cooperative of Bagong Silang (CSBS) from Caloocan City also joined the clean-up drive. Elma Centenaje, a CSBS officer, said she’s been active in volunteerism.
“Masaya kasi nakakatulong kami dito, para maiwanasan natin ang baha na nagpapahirap satin [It's fun because we can help prevent flooding that give us a hard time],” she said.
Polystyrene Packaging Council of the Philippines (PPCP), led by its president Henry Gaw conducted an on-site demonstration of how polystyrene can be recycled into plastic ingots using a melting machine. These ingots could be used to make tables and chairs that can be donated to public schools. The PPCP is a non-profit, non-stock corporation made up 11 independent companies and manufacturers engage in solid waste management.
Other volunteers were from the Metro Manila Development Authority and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. Local government units of Taguig and Manila also sent their volunteers to help clean up Manila Bay. However, Manila Vice Mayor Isko Moreno, who was supposed to lead the activity, failed to attend.
“The convergence of more volunteers today shows that this partnership is set to maker greater impact not only in the rehabilitation of the Manila but also in our solid waste management efforts as a whole. We hope more establishments near the Manila Bay will join us in this worthy endeavor,” said Landbank president and chief executive officer Gilda E. Pico.
The Manila Bay SUNSET Partnership Program, which is initiated and headed by the Landbank, also lists as members private corporations and universities such as Diamond Hotel, Manila Ocean Park, Manila Broadcasting Company, Manila Yatch Club, University of the Philippines Manila and Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, and PPCP.