The Philippine National Police in San Carlos, Negros Occidental, together with the Maritime Patrol Group and Philippine Coast Guard, conducted an underwater cleanup drive at the Dap Dap Wharf, Sipaway Island in Barangay San Juan in the city recently.
The cleanup drive through scuba-diving, dubbed “ScubaSurero”, was conducted in the area due to the number of visitors who might have thrown their garbage that need to be taken out to sustain the marine biodiversity, a press release from San Carlos City said.
The activity, in coordination with the City Environment Management Office Coastal Resource Management Division, was participated in by 31 persons, who collected waste materials, such as plastic containers, bottles, plastic cups, fishing nets, used face masks and shields, clothing, tin cans, cement sacks, sanitary napkins and other hazardous wastes.
Six sacks of garbage were collected, the press release said.
Personnel of the Bureau of Fire Protection and the Philippine Army also participated in the cleanup, together with the San Carlos Freedivers and Qptimum Dive Team.
P/Chief Insp. Arthur Baybayan, San Carlos police chief, said the cleanup drive is not limited to land that’s why they extended it to the seas as part of their environmental program.
He added that they will continue to do such activity as part of their contribution to the environment.
The activity was also in line with the Environmental Month celebration of the city, as facilitated by the CEMO, the press release added.*
