THE 2025 INTERNATIONAL COASTAL CLEANUP last Sept. 20 in Catanduanes led by the DENR-PENRO gathered 1,284 volunteers from 54 government agencies, LGUs and private groups who collected a total of 345 trash bags weighing an estimated 1,297 kilograms from shorelines in their assigned areas. The top five items of waste collected were plastic beverage bottles, plastic grocery bags, food wrappers, plastic bottle caps and plastic sachets. The garbage was disposed of at the residual containment area in Bato and Virac. Left photo shows a fisherman combing the sand for worms to be used as bait, oblivious to students posing for a photo in the midst of their cleanup. At right, the jackstone blocks protecting the boulevard’s wave deflector seawall proved to be a challenge for the ICC volunteers. Capitol PIU
