More than 40 tons of garbage were collected during the latest Save the Puerto Princesa Bays cleanup drive on May 9, as volunteers joined coastal cleanup operations in the city despite continuing problems with garbage being dumped into waterways and shorelines.
City government organizers said around 2,176 registrants attended the opening activities at the People’s Amphitheater in Mendoza Park alone, excluding participants deployed in barangays.
Cleanup operations were conducted in the barangays of Bagong Sikat, Bagong Silang, and Mandaragat, while residents from Tagburos and Sta. Lourdes also joined cleanup efforts in areas surrounding Honda Bay.
The cleanup operation marked the 18th episode of the environmental campaign, which has now removed a cumulative 931.06 tons of waste from Puerto Princesa’s coastlines and waterways since the program began.
Scenes from the latest cleanup activity showed volunteers retrieving plastic bottles, household waste, driftwood, and other debris from polluted shorelines beside fishing boats and residential communities near the water.
In one coastal area, volunteers waded through the waters to retrieve floating trash trapped beneath docked fishing vessels, while piles of garbage sacks, scrap wood, plastic containers, and discarded household materials were gathered from nearby residential communities during the cleanup operation.
Young residents were also seen carrying debris through narrow community alleys, highlighting how entire families and neighborhoods joined the cleanup effort.
Despite several episodes of cleanup activities, the latest cleanup also exposed how some residents continue to throw garbage directly into coastal waters and waterways, contributing to recurring pollution problems in several shoreline communities.
Mayor Lucilo Bayron, in his speech, said the cleanup campaign was intentionally designed as a continuing effort because the city’s growing population also means increasing volumes of garbage ending up in coastal areas.
“Tuloy-tuloy yung paglago ng populasyon ng lungsod ng Puerto Princesa, at tuloy-tuloy din yung walang pakundangang pagkalat ng basura na bandang huli ay napupunta sa ating baybayin,” he said.
The mayor also said the campaign’s 18th episode marked the first time cleanup operations expanded to include communities surrounding Honda Bay.
“Ever since na nagsimula tayo, Episode 1 hanggang 17, ay dito tayo sa Puerto Princesa Bay. Pero this time medyo nag-iba tayo ng kalibrasyon, isasama na natin yung Honda Bay. Kaya ang totoo hindi na ito Season 1 lang, kundi Season 1 and Season 2… pinagsama, combined sila,” Bayron said.
He added that clean coastlines are directly linked to community safety, livelihood, and tourism.
“Kapag malinis ang baybayin, mas ligtas ang komunidad, mas buhay ang kabuhayan, mas umuunlad ang turismo,” he said.
Bayron also pointed out that Bagong Silang and Bagong Sikat consistently generate some of the largest volumes of collected garbage during cleanup drives, highlighting the continuing waste problem in shoreline communities.
“Para sa kalaman ng lahat, ang pinakamaraming nahakot na basura na sa baybayin sa Puerto Princesa Bay, ito ang dalawang barangay na ito,” he said.
The activity also served as a transition from the program’s first season into a planned second season with expanded coverage areas.
City Hall employees participated in a mudball throwing activity at the Puerto Princesa Baywalk, an environmental initiative aimed at improving water quality through the use of beneficial microorganisms.
One of the highlights of the event was the Scoop Basura Version 4.0 challenge, where teams competed in collecting trash from rivers and coastal areas.
The group from Old Buncag in Barangay Mandaragat emerged as champion after collecting 395 bins of garbage. Purok Maligaya 2 of Barangay Bagong Sikat placed second with 385 bins, while Team Pantalan finished third with 290 bins collected.
Bayron thanked members of the uniformed services, government agencies, non-government organizations, people’s organizations, youth groups, and barangay officials for supporting the campaign.
The event also featured performances from the Mitus Tribe, Puerto Princesa City Choir, Banwa Dance and Arts, and Badjao Cultural Dancers.
