City of San Fernando, Pampanga— In celebration of World Wetlands Day, field offices of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Region 3 led simultaneous clean-up drives in major river systems and waterways of Aurora, Bataan and Bulacan recently.
With the theme “Protecting Wetlands For Our Common Future”, the clean-up activity aimed to raise awareness about the importance of proper waste disposal and the vital role that wetlands play for both people and the planet.
Additionally, the activity emphasized the need for community participation in the protection and conservation of wetland areas.
In their Facebook post, Regional Executive Director Ralph Pablo stressed the importance of maintaining a clean and waste-free environment to keep wetlands in the region healthy.
“This activity not only highlights the importance of wetlands in maintaining ecological balance but also demonstrates the power of collective action in protecting our environment. Together, we can ensure that our wetlands continue to provide invaluable services for the well-being of future generations,” he said.
In Aurora, participants joined hands in cleaning the coastline and mangrove areas of Barangay Esteves in Casiguran; Amper Boulevard, So. Amper, Barangay Gupa in Dipaculao; and Barangay Zabali in Baler.
Cleanup sites in Bataan were the Amo River in Barangay Townsite, Mariveles, and the coastal area of Barangay Landing, Pilar.
Massive cleanup was also done in the mangrove area of Barangay Ubihan, City of Meycauayan; the Angat River Trench between Barangays Tibag and Poblacion in Baliuag; and Balaong River in San Miguel.
Pablo reported that the combined trash collected during the clean-up reached 400 sacks, mostly composed of single-use plastics, food packaging materials, personal hygiene products, old sacks, and non-food packaging.
He likewise expressed his gratitude to all state workers from different local government units, national government agencies, academe, communities, and volunteer groups who supported the initiative.
Aside from cleaning waterways, personnel of the Community Environment and Natural Resource Office in Casiguran planted about 1,500 Api-api wildlings within the 2014 National Greening Program site in Barangay Esteves.
This year’s World Wetlands Day celebrating every 2nd of February underscores the urgency of taking bold actions to protect these natural habitats for the welfare of all people.
