By Cyrus A. Natividad

Project Coordinator Kairos Rye A. Jalando-on (4th from left) with his fellow representatives from CPU College of Arts and Sciences during the coastal clean up drive in Arevalo, Iloilo City.

In observance of the September month’s International Coastal Clean-Up, the College of Art and Sciences (CAS) joined the Iloilo City Environmental and Natural Resources Office with other representatives from different sectors of the community on September 16, 2023, starting at 6:00 in the morning at the Molo-Arevalo Coastal Area. This year’s theme is “#SeaTheChange”.

The yearly event displays the effort of all sectors in the community that foster awareness and dynamic action in cleaning up coastal areas all over the world. About 48 of the 1,000 participants come from the CPU College of Arts and Sciences.

Kairos Rye A. Jalando-on, CPUR Board Member for External Affairs, Province of Arts and Sciences – Overall Project Coordinator said, “We have started plans for this Clean-Up Drive project since July 2023. We have a strong desire to make a difference; and to help the community (particularly the coastal areas of Arevalo). We have noticed that despite the commercial establishments, prominent restaurants, and resorts, there is often a profusion of garbage along the coast.

The Clean-Up drive, according to Mr. Jalando-on, is named “Project Bugkos”, “since we had to bring ropes to bind together garbage – cut branches of trees and a strip of woods; even bags or sacks of disposed-materials which are deliberately thrown out into the coast.”

Alana Grace Tubal (Chem Eng’g, CPU batch 2019), CPU Pollution Control Officer commented, “When garbage waste seeps into the ground it could affect our natural water resources. The need to regulate or control waste disposal is urgent.”

In his message, the City ENR Officer said, “We strongly believe that every straw, every plastic bottle, every single piece of trash that we pick up from our coastline ultimately leads to saving our marine resources, a step closer to achieving change for a cleaner and healthier ocean.”