By Bernardo B. Ver II
Contributor
Currimao, Ilocos Norte—The Movement Against Plastic Pollution
(MAPP), an Ilocos Norte environmentalist group marked March 2019 as the month
to clean up beaches in this town.
MAPP is a non-government organization (NGO) that actively organizes
volunteer beach and coastal cleanups, minimizing non-biodegradable wastes and
educating people about proper waste management.
The group was organized and founded by Mrs. Patricia Dacanay-Diaz. She is
also the 5 Gyres Institute ambassadress of the Philippines, an organization
that empowers action against the global health crisis of plastic pollution.
Mrs. Dacanay-Diaz said 91 volunteers participated in the said activity and
they were able to collect 19 sacks full of non-biodegradable trash from the Pangil
Rock Formation in this town. In a 1.3 kilometers wide coast, they 109.7
kilograms of garbage for 1 hour and 20 minutes.
Specific plastic elements collected include plastic straws, polystyrene or Styrofoam,
miscellaneous plastics—disposable plates, disposable cutleries, plastic food
packaging, plastic bottles, nylon, styrene, fiberglass—and broken glass
bottles—scattered near the seabed and coves.
Every year, thousands of tons of garbage winds up in the oceans, with 60%
of that being composed of plastic material, or 8 million tons of plastic.
In the Philippines, Ilocos Norte’s beaches are one of the most sought
destinations as it hosts beautiful shorelines with white sand and preserved
corals, seagrass, rocks and a variety of marine life for tourists to enjoy.
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