More than 2,000 volunteers are expected to participate in the International Coastal Cleanup Day 2025 in Catanduanes, with the Department of the Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) spearheading the annual event.
The kickoff program will be held at 5:30 AM at the Provincial Capitol grounds, with Governor Patrick Alain T. Azanza, Catanduanes State University President Dr. Gemma G. Acedo, Coast Guard Station-Catanduanes commanding officer LTJG Kees G. Villanueva, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) Provincial Fishery Officer Raymond C. Tolledo, and OIC-Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer Forester Cyril C. Magdaraog delivering messages to the participants.
Provincial Environmental Management Officer Yul Antonio R. Almayda of the DENR Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) will discuss the cleanup scheme with the participants before the actual cleanup activity at the pre-identified sites at 7:20 AM.
Spearheaded by the Ocean Conservancy, the ICC is the world’s largest volunteer effort for the ocean’s health and is conducted every third Saturday of September each year along beaches, rivers, lakes and waterways.
This 2025, it has the theme “Clean Seas Against the Climate Crisis.”
Last year, 2,348 volunteers cleaned up 9 kilometers of beaches around Catanduanes, collecting a total of 128 bags of trash weighing a cumulative 1,832.93 kilograms.
The 1.8 tons of garbage represent less than one half of one percent of the total 484,041 kilograms of trash and debris collected by 128,106 volunteers in 250 coastal sites all over the Philippines in last year’s cleanup.
Food wrappers, with 32.6%, was number one among top 10 debris items during ICC 2024, followed by plastic cups and plates (25.3%), plastic beverage bottles (9.7%), plastic grocery bags (6.4%), plastic bottle caps (5.9%), other plastic bags (5.7%), beverage pouches (5.1%), beverage glass bottles (3.6%), plastic sachets (2.8%), and foam packaging (2.5%).
Nearly 3.5 million pieces of debris items were collected in 61,170 bags from 1,012 kilometers of coastlines and riverbanks.
Most of the volunteers participated in land-based cleanup, with 277 focusing underwater and 199 on board watercraft.
According to Ocean Conservancy, marine debris is more than an eyesore, as it sickens and kills thousands of marine mammals and birds aside from undermining economies based on tourism and fisheries.
Five countries, including the Philippines which is No. 2 on the list, account for the vast majority of plastic waste that washes up on many nation’s beaches or joins the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
China is the largest contributor with over 2.6 million tons, followed by the Philippines (1.7 million tons), and India (966,000 tons), with the high figures blamed on rapid economic growth, urbanization, and inadequate waste management systems.
With annual economic costs due to marine plastic pollution estimated to be between $6-19 billion, the OECD says preventing land-based plastic leakage into the ocean across 38 member countries and 10 major plastic waste emitters in Asia and Africa could cost more than $86 billion.
According to Yul Antonio Almayda of the Provincial Environmental Management Office (PEMO), a total of 60 agencies, groups and local government units have signified their participation in the forthcoming International Coastal Cleanup Day set this Sept. 20, 2025 in the province of Catanduanes.
There are 36 government agencies including the Catanduanes Police Provincial Office and three police units, the Congressional District Office, and FICELCO, whose headquarters face the long Marinawa shoreline.
Also joining the event are the 503rd Reservist Battalion, the 905th Coast Guard Auxiliary Squadron and Philippine Red Cross while CatSU, CPIC and TESDA Cabugao will be sending employees and students:
Only two municipal LGUs (Virac and Bato) are in the list although the DENR as provincial coordinating agency expects all 11 MLGUs to actively participate alongside the provincial government which hosts the opening program.
In the capital town and in Bato, 10 coastal villages will be cleaning their own shores: Cabugao in Bato, Capilihan, Concepcion, Francia, Ibong Sapa, Rawis, Salvacion, San Juan, San Pablo, and San Vicente, all in Virac.