SBMA launches 1st Quarter Offshore Clean-up in Subic Bay

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), along with other authorities in the Port of Subic launched the 1^st Quarter Off Shore Clean Up 2022 in response to the call for a cleaner and safer freeport.

Newly installed SBMA Chairman and Administrator Rolen Paulino lauded personnel from SBMA Seaport Department, Philippine Coast Guard, PNP Maritime Group, and Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary (PCGA) who participated in the activity.

Earlier this month, in his first appearance as SBMA Chairman, Paulino appealed to employees, locators, residents and stakeholders to help in maintaining cleanliness and safety in the freeport to attract more tourists and investors.

As part of the strategic measures to revitalize the business climate, the SBMA Seaport Department launched the off-shore clean-up drive which kicked off on Friday, March 18.

“The objective of this off shore clean-up is to engage people to remove trash and debris from beaches, waterways and other waterbodies,” said Jerome Martinez, manager of the Seaport Department.

The project also aims to identify the sources of litter that come to the bay, to change behaviors that cause pollution and raise awareness on the extent of the marine debris problem.

Meanwhile, Diego Aviles, chief of Maritime Safety Branch of the Seaport Department, said the SBMA has launched several activities that have safeguarded and protected Subic Bay’s marine and coastal resources such as information and education campaigns, oil spill and fire exercises, and off shore clean-ups.

Using three SBMA watercrafts and two PNP Maritime patrol boats, the group cruised off shore and scooped plastics and other non-biodegradable litter from the water.

An hour into the clean up activity, the group proudly shared that only a few plastic trash and soda bottles and were collected. “This is the result of our regular clean ups around water bodies of the bay,” Aviles said.

“This activity will serve only as an exercise for the group. We expect that the real work will come during the rainy days when bulks of trash will be directed to areas surrounding the ports by strong winds and waves,” Aviles added.

Aviles explained that the offshore clean-up drive will be held every quarter, and may extend farther offshore with the added participation of more individuals and organizations who may wish to join in this environmental protection campaign. (MPD-SBMA)

Read More

Volunteers clear Subic beaches of plastic wastes, storm debris

 

More than 200 volunteers from locator companies, community groups and departments of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) fanned out to eight points along the shoreline here on Friday to collect mostly plastic wastes and other debris that were washed ashore after the recent heavy rains.

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said the coastal cleanup is an annual event here among stakeholders in line with the International Coastal Cleanup Day celebration, but was cancelled last year because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“This time we allowed it but on condition that the activities be undertaken with strict observance of health and safety protocols,” Eisma stressed.

“Despite the pandemic, there is still a need to protect the environment because a healthy environment is proven to be a big factor to the healing process, and we need that now more than ever,” she added.

The SBMA Ecology Center, which organized the cleanup, assigned volunteers into 10-man teams deployed at onshore cleanup points along Waterfront Beach, San Bernardino Road, Triboa Bay Boardwalk, Tago Beach, and Nabasan Beach. Others were dispersed to river deltas, while some underwater teams also dived on the bay to take out trash.

Ecology Center manager Amethya dela Llana said the trash collected by the various teams were sorted out and recorded to further study the extent of pollution along the coast and on Subic Bay.

Most of the trash washed ashore were plastic bottles, Styrofoam cups and food packets, but volunteers said they also collected a large amount of disposable face masks along with rubber slippers.

The coastal cleanup on Friday also served to conclude the weeklong celebration of this year’s Biay Dagat, a mini-festival launched in 2019 to promote environmental protection and engage stakeholder support in ecological action.

Biay Dagay 2021 was launched virtually, with the online ceremony attended by SBMA employees, business locators, environmental advocates, and other Subic stakeholder groups.

The launch was followed by a series of online lectures like “Man and Ocean: Importance of taking care of our Seas and Ocean,” “SBMA Policies in Protecting Marine Areas,” and “Waste Away: Proper Waste Management, Segregation and Disposal.”

Cenevix Mañago of the SBMA Ecology Center’s organizing team described the coastal cleanup as “hugely successful” despite the constraints of Covid-19 pandemic. (MPD-SBMA)

Read More

SBMA, DENR present ‘Refill Revolution’ to cut plastic pollution

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) will team up with the Environmental Management Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR-EMB) to promote the use of refillable containers as a means of reducing plastic wastes that harm the environment.

On Tuesday, November 19, the two agencies will introduce the “Refill Revolution” program to local residents and stakeholders of the Subic Bay Freeport during the 7th Recyclables Collection Event (RCE), which is a biennial recycling project of the SBMA.

SBMA Ecology Center manager Amethya dela Llana said “Refill Revolution” is designed to do away with sachets and “tingi” (small retail) packs that usually end up in drainage systems, rivers and other waterways, and eventually the sea.

“By buying in bulk, choosing products without much packaging and by using refillable containers for these products, we can help reduce wastes and prevent environmental pollution,” she added.

Dela Llana said that under “Refill Revolution”, participants can buy powder detergent at P30 per kilo; fabric conditioner at P20 per kilo; dishwashing liquid at P20 per liter; and hand soap at P20 per liter.

Accredited suppliers and sellers will also offer essential household items like soy sauce, cane vinegar, cooking oil, and brown sugar at reduced prices, she added.

Another new activity during the 7th RCE to be held at the Mini Golf Course here is the “Trash for Rice” project, which is a social development program of the Asia Processing Industry Association of Subic.

Dela Llana said “Trash for Rice” will exchange one kilo of rice for every one kilo of plastic or half kilo of cigarette butts. Organizers aim to collect 1,000 kilos of clean and dry plastic, sando bags, sachet, and cigarette butts, with a maximum of 10 kilos each for each pre-registered Subic Bay Freeport locator.

Like “Refill Revolution”, this project targets SBMA employees, Subic Bay Freeport business locators and workers, and residents of Olongapo City, Zambales and Bataan.

Yet another new highlight in the event is a Tire Upcycling Workshop, wherein participants from the SBMA and the Pastolan and Kanawan Ayta communities in the Freeport would learn how used tires could be turned into artistic creations like plant pots, Christmas wreaths, chairs, and hammocks.

Meanwhile, various groups and business establishments will put up booths to showcase and sell local products and eco-friendly alternatives to plastic packaging.

At the same time, Dela Llana said the 7th Recyclable Collection Event will continue with its objective of facilitating the proper disposal of recyclables. This time, recyclers will take in paper and plastic, used clothes and footwear, and expired medicines and needles on top of regular recyclables like electronic wastes, used oils, lead acid batteries, busted light bulbs and lamps and tires.

The fees collected for the disposal of hazardous wastes are donated to the “Bantay Kalikasan” environment protection program.

Aside from the Recyclable Collection Program, the SBMA has initiated other environment-friendly programs and has banned the use of single-use plastics in the agency’s workplaces.

Dela Llana said every measure in reducing pollution is a big step for environmental protection and everyone can volunteer to help. “So turn in your waste materials, bring your own refill bottles and containers, and join us in loving back Mother Earth,” she added. (MPD-SBMA)

PHOTOS:

SBMA Recyclable Collection Events show recycling instructors demonstrating some creative uses of plastic wastes.

Read More

Volunteer cleanups propel Subic Freeport tourism

Hundreds of volunteers from the various community organizations, schools and government agencies converged here on Sunday to clean up the beach along the popular Boardwalk Park here in preparation for the Century Tuna Ironman 70.3 Subic Bay triathlon event here on June 2.

The volunteers from the Philippine Coast Guard-Subic, its auxiliary PCGA 111th Squadron, the Philippine National Police, Ramon Magsaysay University in Subic, Zambales, and local schools Aura College and Gordon College, scoured the coast for trash, and bagged them for sorting and eventual disposal.

But this was nothing extraordinary, said SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma, who takes pride in a strong culture of volunteerism among stakeholders of the Subic Bay Freeport.

“This Freeport may have its natural attractions to thank for being a major tourist destination in the country today, but it is the culture of volunteerism here that keeps the local tourism industry moving forward,” Eisma said.

“Without the cooperation and support of the Subic Bay area community, the SBMA would not be able to make Subic the top tourist destination in Central Luzon for the last six years,” she added. “Volunteers help keep Subic tourism alive.”

The initiative of stakeholders that include SBMA employees, Freeport business locators, socio-civic organizations, residents, and even visitors to volunteer in clean-up activities here is a result of Eisma’s call for “malasakit” or concern for the common good.

This summer, as Subic prepared to host a mix of sports, entertainment and religious events, volunteer groups led by various SBMA departments buckled down to work to keep beaches, river banks and vacant lots clean and pleasing to the eye.

Today, members of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Subic Station, Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary (PCGA) 111th Squadron, and the Subic Bay Multi-Purpose Cooperative (SBMPC), conduct monthly coastal clean-up along Malawaan Park and Boardwalk area.

“PCGA is mandated to support and assist the community in the protection of the marine environment and its resources, so we are happy to volunteer in cleaning our beach areas, especially in Subic Bay,” said Commander Eduardo Mabita Jr., director of the PCGA division in Subic.

Other groups such as Toyota Avanza Pilipinas (Olongapo Chapter), Lions Club of Olongapo, Gordon College and Aura College, the Police Regional Maritime Unit (Subic) are among the regular participants of the beach clean-ups along the Boardwalk Park here.

The Boardwalk Area is a favorite place for outdoor concerts, and will be the venue for several beach and water sports events in the upcoming Southeast Asian Games that Subic will host on November 30 to December 10.

Jem Camba, manager of the SBMA Tourism Department, noted that with 1.7 million guest arrivals last year, the Subic Bay Freeport continues to hold its position as the best tourist destination in Central Luzon based on the Department of Tourism’s 2018 report.

“With the help of our Subic Bay stakeholders, we are able to provide excellent customer service and create worthy and enjoyable events, and thus make Subic Bay a perfect getaway destination,” Camba also said. (RAV/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTOS:

Various stakeholder groups participate in the clean-up along the Boardwalk Park in the Subic Bay Freeport in preparation for the Ironman 70.3 triathlon on June 2. (AMD/MPD-SBMA)

Read More

More business locators join SBMA ‘war on waste’

The country’s premier free port maintains its reputation as home to booming industries and businesses amidst a thriving natural environment due to the collective effort of stakeholders here to minimize waste.

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Ecology Center manager Amethya Dela Llana said more Subic Freeport companies have joined the agency’s “War on Waste” program since the start of the Recyclable Collection Event (RCE) project in 2016.

“Our business locators now see the benefits of properly disposing trash: it’s orderly and more efficient, as well as economical,” Dela Llana said on Thursday during the 6th RCE held at the former mini-golf course along Waterfront Road here.

The participating companies brought to the collection event various recyclable items like used car batteries, cardboard and paper scraps, and light bulbs.

“It has been our company’s initiative to properly dispose of our hazardous wastes, being a company that conducts inspection, verification and tests on various products such as gas, oil and other chemicals,” said Marge Lingad, the administrative officer of SGS Subic.

Lingad said the firm used to outsource treatment of wastes generated by their operation. “But now we have found an economical way to dispose of these and at the same time, help raise funds for the environment,” she added.

Recyclable items generated through the SBMA project are sold to recyclers, and proceeds are donated to the ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya Foundation, which funds the Bantay Kalikasan, an organization that promotes healthy environment for local communities.

In the recently concluded 6th RCE, the SBMA Ecology Center recognized Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction Co., Ltd. for religiously donating recyclable trash since the pilot collection event three years ago, as well as for donating recyclable trash worth P32,160 during the previous RCE.

Apart from Hanjin, the companies recognized for their contributions to the recycling project include Subic Truckboy, SGS (Subic Bay) Inc., Broadband Broadcast Services, Nidec Subic Philippines, Sanyo Denki Phils. Inc., Koryo Subic, Subic Bay International Terminal Corp. (SBITC), Wistron Infocomm Phils., Mateen Tokyo Intl. Inc., and Apollo Subic International Trading Corp.

Among the SBMA departments, meanwhile, the Procurement and Property Management Department (PPMD) was recognized for turning in recyclables worth P297,380 at the 5th RCE in November 2018.

In a short program that kicked off the 6th RCE, Dela Llana pointed out that when astronauts go to outer space, they experience the “overview effect” where they feel how fragile the earth is.

“I hope we do not have to go to outer space just to realize how fragile the earth is. With the series of earthquakes and aftershocks, let us help our environment adapt to the changes by doing environmentally-sound practices,” she added.

Dela Llana also announced that recyclable items like old tires, expired medicines, rubber shoes/slippers, and used clothes will also be accepted in the next collection event.

The RCE is part of the SBMA’s “War on Waste” program that also included an anti-littering drive, regulated use of plastic straws and plastic bags for wet products, and ban of single-use plastics. (RFD/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTOS:

[1] Companies located at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone bring recyclable items to the 6th SBMA Recyclable Collection Event on Thursday. (MPD-SBMA)

[2] Volunteers teach the art of turning recyclable items into reusable or alternative-use products during the 6th SBMA Recyclable Collection Event on Thursday. (MPD.SBMA)

Read More

SBMA urges neighbors to join recycling effort

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) urges communities around the Subic Bay Freeport to participate in its recyclable collection project to minimize the release of wastes into the environment and help raise funds for resource conservation.

SBMA Senior Deputy Administrator for Operations Ramon Agregado said during the 5th Recyclables Collection Event (RCE) here Thursday that gathering recyclable wastes is the flipside of SBMA efforts to clean up the coastline and waters of Subic Bay, which is acknowledged as the lifeblood of both tourism and trade in the greater Subic Bay area.

“We should not only endeavor to make this recyclable collection event a periodic institutional activity, but we should strive to make it something bigger that will also encompass the neighboring localities of Olongapo, Zambales and Bataan,” Agregado said.

“This war on waste should not be an exclusive mandate for the SBMA. It should, instead, be a communal effort on the part of various stakeholders in the Subic area so that we can produce more significant results,” he added.

Agregado admitted that since attending the RCE last year, he began to collect recyclable plastics in preparation for this year’s event.

“If this activity affected me and encouraged me to collect recyclable trash, I hope others would also realize that we need to help save the environment in our own small way,” he added.

SBMA’s recyclables collection project is part of the agency’s bigger “War on Waste” program, which has recently included an anti-littering campaign and a ban on the use of single-use plastics in SBMA workplaces.

SBMA Ecology Center manager Ameth Dela Llana said the RCE was undertaken in partnership with Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and in cooperation with the Bureau of Customs, as well as various treatment, storage and disposal (TSD) facilities like VAG General Merchandising in Pampanga, Genetron International Marketing, Evergreen Environmental Resources, Inc., and Semi-Recycling Joechem in Bulacan.

During the event, SBMA also presented tokens of appreciation to 10 companies inside the Subic Freeport, which delivered the biggest volume of recyclable trash during the 4th RCE.

These are Hanjin Heavy Industries Company (Phils.), Subic Water and Sewerage Co., Nidec Subic, PTT Phils. Corp., Subic Track, Koryo Subic, SGS Subic Bay, Petron Freeport Corp., Subic Bay International Terminal Corp., and Jack Electronics Corporation.

The recyclables brought in by the participating firms, as well as by the community groups and households, are paid for by recyclers.

In some cases, the firms pay for the trash brought in for treatment and subsequent disposal.

Dela Llana said that the SBMA collection program generated proceeds amounting PHP137,000 last year. During the 3rd RCE in 2016, the proceeds reached PHP230,000.

She said the cash proceeds are turned over to the ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya Foundation, which funds the “Bantay Kalikasan” organization that promotes healthy environment for children, and helps communities earn revenue from protecting and turning their natural environment to tourism destinations.

The 5th RCE was held at an open space near the Boardwalk Activity Center here, drawing business locators and residents from both the Subic Freeport and Olongapo City to bring in their solid, hazardous, and electronic wastes to either sell or donate.

Some volunteers also took the time to teach the public techniques in making decorations out of wastes like plastic bottles, straw and food wrappers. (Malou Dungog, PNA)

http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1054164

Read More

SBMA creates anti-littering task force

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) created an anti-littering task force to effectively implement its no-littering policy and set fines to discourage violations.

SBMA chairman and administrator Wilma T. Eisma said that the agency has started enforcing a policy that prohibits dumping or throwing of garbage, rubbish or any kind of waste in parks, roads, beach, forests, rivers, streams or on any open or public place inside the Freeport.

It is also illegal under the policy for anybody to urinate, defecate, dispose of cigarette butts, or spit in public places.

To ensure effective implementation of the no-littering policy, Eisma issued an order creating the SBMA Anti-Littering Task Force manned by marshals from the SBMA Ecology Center, Law Enforcement Department, Maintenance and Transportation Department, and Tourism Department.

She said these personnel are deputized to apprehend violators and recommend issuance of Notice of Violation (NoV) to any Subic Bay Freeport Zone establishment caught violating the policy.

She also said the agency has imposed a fine of PHP1,500 and four hours of community service for individual offenders and pet handlers found violating the policy.

The same fine of PHP1,500 and four hours of community service will be imposed for Subic Bay Freeport residents for littering, or improper or untimely stacking of garbage outside their residences.

Meanwhile, stiffer penalty will be given to violators among business establishments in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone: PHP50,000 per day of violation for each count of littering, improper or untimely stacking of garbage outside the establishment, and for garbage with leaking foul odor.

Eisma urged the public to help in enforcement and report incidents of littering, including the license plate number of violators, to the Law Enforcement Department at 911 (landline) or 9111 (mobile) or to the “No Kalat” hotline at 09176852528.

The no-littering policy took off from SBMA’s war on waste (WOW) program, as well as the agency’s thrust to enhance public awareness on environmental "malasakit" (concern).

Last month, the SBMA banned single-use plastic like stirrers, forks and spoons, straws, cups, and take-out food bags inside SBMA workplaces.

The SBMA advised canteens, stores and other food establishments here to use alternative food packaging.

“We should show good example and walk the talk,” Eisma said as she encouraged SBMA employees and Freeport companies to join the “straw-less” drive, ban on single-use plastics, and the agency’s recyclables collection program. (Ruben Veloria, PNA)

Read More

SBMA bans single-use plastics in workplaces

Starting October 1, single-use plastics which are used only once before they are thrown away or recycled, will no longer be allowed in workplaces of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA).

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said the agency has banned single-use plastics as part of its solution to the growing global problem of pollution.

Single-use plastics, or disposable plastics, include plastic bags, straws, coffee stirrers, as well as soda and water bottles which form part of most food packaging.

“We should show good example and walk the talk,” Eisma said in a September 19 advisory to SBMA employees. “I implore everyone in SBMA to refrain from using single-use plastics in their workplace,” she added.

She said that canteens, stores and other food establishments in SBMA buildings have already been advised not to use plastic articles anymore.

Exempted from this regulation are goods in original plastic packaging. These, however, cannot be placed in new plastic bag or container upon purchase by consumers.

Aside from enforcing the single-use plastics ban, the SBMA will urge business locators here to join the “strawless” campaign, the recyclables collection program, and cooperate in an intensified anti-littering drive that will be implemented this coming October to further strengthen the agency’s War on Waste (WOW) campaign.

Eisma said that single-use plastics account for most of marine pollution in the Subic Bay area, as could be seen from the trash that periodically pile up on the Freeport’s coastline mostly after typhoons or heavy rains.

“These plastic items are not only pollutive and harmful to wildlife and humans alike, but they also become an eyesore that negatively impact on the image of Subic as world-class Freeport,” Eisma said.

“There is already a standing ban on the use of plastic bags and Styrofoam packaging in the whole Subic Freeport, and now we are backing this up with the ban on single-use plastics and our strawless campaign because there is really an urgent need to save the environment — and this includes public health — from further degradation,” she added.

According to SBMA Ecology Center manager Amethya dela Llana, the intensified no-littering policy to be implemented in the Subic Bay Freeport aims to stop the dumping or throwing of garbage, rubbish or any kind of waste in parks, roads, beaches, forests, rivers, streams or on any open or public place in the Subic Freeport.

The same policy also makes it illegal for anybody to urinate, defecate or spit in public places, or throw cigarette butts anywhere in public areas.

Dela Llana added that it would also be illegal to dispose of litter from a boat or ship into a water body, and to transport uncovered, spilling, or leaking waste or waste containers within the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

The SBMA has set penalties for violators of the anti-littering rule: P1,500 for individual offenders and pet handlers, who would have the option to render four hours of community service instead; and P50,000 for companies or establishments per day until the violation is corrected.

The public is enjoined to report incidents of littering, as well as particulars like the license plate number of violators, to the SBMA Law Enforcement Department at 911 (landline) or 9111 (mobile) or to the No Kalat Hotline at 09176852528. (RAV/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTO:

Volunteers pick up wastes washed up along the shore in the Subic Bay Freeport. (MPD-SBMA)

Read More

Olongapo bans plastic, styrofoam as packaging materials

OLONGAPO CITY - The use and sale of non-biodegradable plastic bags and styrofoam as packaging materials are now prohibited in Olongapo City as part of its efforts to protect the environment and mitigate flooding in the area.

“Plastic bags and styrofoam are among the top trash collected during our yearly citywide cleanup, and is also one of the main reasons why our drainage clogs up. That is why we opt to ban plastic in the city.” Olongapo City Mayor Rolen Paulino said.

He added that it is also the city’s way to help protect and care for the environment.

“Kailangan namin ng tulong na mga residents. Kapag nakita sana nila na gumagamit pa rin ng plastic bags or styro yung tindahan, sabihan na nila, o mag report sa aking opisina," Paulino said.

"Hindi lang naman ang local na pamahalaan ang makikinabang dito, buong Olongapo lalong lalo na ang mga maliiliit na bata na maiiwan natin sa syudad. Lahat tayo dapat maging miyembro ng task force.” He added.

Mayor Paulino also formed a task force composed of selected personnel from the local government to monitor and implement the said ban.

The ban on plastic bags and Styrofoam started January 1, 2017 after a gradual implementation last year.

Under City Ordinance No. 11 Series of 2015, any establishment violating the ban will be fined P1,000 for the first offense, P2,000 for the second offense and P5,000 plus cancellation of its business permit for the third offense.

The gradual prohibition of plastics started in the 3rd quarter of last year allocating every Wednesday as plastic-free day. It was followed by a two-day ban during the 4th quarter of 2016 with Wednesdays and Saturdays allocated as plastic-free days.

The ordinance encourages residents to use recyclable bags, bayongs, eco bags, biodegradable plastic, paper cups and paper food containers as replacement for the banned material.

Mayor Paulino explained that the gradual implementation of the ban last year was done upon the request of businesses as they have already stocked up on plastic bags for their use.

“But now the honeymoon is over, we need to adhere to the law and I am very positive that we can achieve this goal by helping each other.” Paulino said. (SNL)

Read More

Subic Grande Island Resort conducts underwater clean-up

Grande Island Resort, one of Subic Freeport's leading tourism players, recently held an underwater and coastal clean-up in the waters of Subic Bay as part of the international observance of Earth Day.

The volunteer divers were able to haul some 30 kilograms of non-biodegradable waste materials composed mostly of plastic wrappers.

Miss Subic Bay Tourism first runner-up Martina McKinsey also joined the volunteer divers in the recent clean-up as part of the pageant’s environmental advocacy.

According to Grande Island managing partner Thomas Garcia, who led the underwater clean-up, the resort conducts periodic clean-up of the beaches up to neighboring Chiquita Island.

He said that the resort’s diving program will incorporate clean-up of the seabed to maintain the balance of the island's marine ecosystem, which is one of the best in Subic Bay.

The island resort also plans to enhance underwater diversity by setting up a viable artificial reef system. Subic Bay is one of the dive sites closest to Metro Manila and is known for World War II shipwrecks and pockets of coral gardens.

Garcia noted that Grande Island's environmental and recreational activities will form part of its corporate social responsibility.

Formerly known as Fort Wint, a naval fortification during the American Occupation, Grande Island Resort is situated some kilometers off the Freeport at the mouth of Subic Bay. It offers a wide array of water sports and outdoor adventure activities such as horseback-riding, trekking, mountain biking and zip line.


PHOTOS:
[1] A volunteer diver holds a sackful of garbage collected from the bottom of the sea near Grande Island in the Subic Bay Freeport during an underwater clean-up.

[2] Volunteer divers, along with Miss Subic Bay Tourism first runner-up Martina McKinsey, show their collection of non-biodegradable waste materials hauled from the bottom of the sea during an underwater clean-up around Grande Island, a popular resort in Subic Bay Freeport.

Read More

Zambales sees bigger turnout for 2014 coastal cleanup drive

Stakeholders in Zambales and the Subic Bay Freeport Zone have pledged their full support to the upcoming International Coastal Cleanup (ICC), vowing an even bigger turnout of volunteers to help save the marine environment and ensure resource sustainability for the future.

During the ICC project launch here at the Ayala Harbor Point on Friday, officials of private organizations and government units in the province said they will come up with at least 30,000 participants in the coastal cleanup to be held on September 20.

The ICC-Zambales group came up with 27,000 participants in the 2013 cleanup, the second biggest number of volunteers in the whole country last year. The Philippines itself, with a total of 182,408 volunteers, also had the second biggest number of participants among all the countries that joined the ICC last year.

Vice Gov. Ramon Lacbain II, who represented the Zambales provincial government, said that at least 14,000 volunteers from the 11 coastal towns and even the two landlocked municipalities of Zambales will join next month’s cleanup project.

Councilor Jong Cortez of Olongapo City, meanwhile, promised the full participation of city government employees, as well as at least 10,000 volunteers from the 17 barangays in the city.

The rest of the target participants are expected to come from the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority and schools and companies in both Olongapo City and the Subic Bay Freeport.

Zedrik Avecilla, ICC area coordinator for Zambales, said the local cleanup project has astronomically grown from 30 volunteer-employees from The Lighthouse Marina Resort in the free port, to 800 volunteers in 2009, 2,000 participants in 2010, 4,000 in 2011, 14,000 in 2012, and 27,000 last year.

The ICC-Zambales group last year removed more than 67,000 kilograms of debris from 47 cleanup sites in Subic Bay, Olongapo and Zambales, Avecilla added.

The ICC, an annual project of the non-profit organization Ocean Conservancy, has become one of the largest volunteer efforts for ocean preservation worldwide.

Aiming for science-based solutions to the problem of ocean trash, the group’s ICC project involves the collection, segregation, data-card recording, weighing and hauling of trash from four types of cleanup: shoreline, waterway, using watercraft and underwater.

The data collected in the ICC is used to educate people and create solutions to the problems of solid waste and litter.

Last year ICC volunteers from all over the Philippines found that the most common kind of trash in coastlines are food wrappers, followed by and paper bags, straws and stirrers, disposable diapers, plastic bottle caps, cigarette butts, plastic grocery bags, other plastic bags, plastic cups and plates and plastic lids.

In contrast, the top 10 debris items found all over the world were cigarette butts, food wrappers, plastic beverage bottles, plastic bottle caps, straws and stirrers, plastic grocery bags, glass beverage bottles, other plastics bags, paper bags, and beverage cans.

Commodore Gerry Reyes of the Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary, who attended the ICC project launch here, said that everyone has to participate in cleaning the environment because pollution is posing a deadly threat to mankind.

“The scariest indicator is the recent findings that fish larvae already contained plastics, and that birds have been ingesting bottle caps. This means that our food chain is already threatened,” Reyes said.

“I’ve been doing this (coastal cleanup) for 30 years, and I can say that it’s not futile because we’re here to tell the children that we have to do something for the Earth. This is our responsibility, and no one else’s,” Reyes added. (Henry Empeño, BusinessMirror)

PHOTO:
Volunteers scour the Subic Bay Freeport coastline for trash during the International Coastal Cleanup project in September 2013.

http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/index.php/en/news/regions/36958-zambales-sees-bigger-turnout-for-2014-coastal-cleanup-drive

Read More

2,000 volunteers join Subic Bay Freeport coastal clean-up

About 2,000 volunteers consisting of students, workers from locator-companies in this free port, and employees of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) participated in a clean-up activity along the shoreline of Subic Bay on Saturday.

Other volunteers also cleaned up key areas in the different barangays of neighboring Olongapo City under the Shore It Up! International Coastal Clean-up program sponsored by the Metro Pacific Investments Foundation (MPIF).

The clean-up program was part of the International Coastal Clean-up Day, which was locally organized by The Lighthouse Marina Resort, and Ocean Conservancy, a non-profit advocacy group that promoteshealthy and diverse ecosystems.

Prior to the activity, the SBMA signed a memorandum of understanding with MPIF for the Shore It Up! program, agreeing to be partner-organizers for this year’s clean-up.

SBMA Chairman Roberto V. Garcia said that the SBMA supports the activity because it is in line with the Agency's mandate of protecting the environment.

He noted that the SBMA, through its Ecology Center, has initiated similar annual clean-up drives years before partnering with private organizations for a bigger clean-up effort.

“We have followed this up with other measures to protect the vast natural forest and coastline located within the Freeport, particularly with the ‘No Plastic Policy’ to help control pollution of both land and bodies of water here,” Garcia said.

“We hope that this clean-up activity would encourage people not just from the Subic Bay Freeport but also from other areas to commit in protecting Mother Nature,” he added.

For their part, MPIF vice president for corporate communications Melody del Rosario said they are “very happy to have the SBMA as partner” for this activity.

The International Coastal Clean-up Day is an annual event, which began in 1986 through the efforts of former Ocean Conservancy employee Linda Maraniss.

Since then, over 150 countries around the world have joined this activity, which is observed every third Saturday of September. (FMD/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTO:
Volunteers collect trash and other debris washed ashore at the Subic Bay Freeport during the Shore It Up! International Coastal Clean-up project on Saturday, September 21.

Read More

Fishers’ group joins SBMA in advocacy vs. plastics

Fisher folks in the Subic Bay Area have joined the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) in its advocacy against the use of plastics and other non-biodegradable products that pollute the environment.

During the celebration of the “Araw ng Mangingisda” last Saturday, members of the Subic Bay Integrated Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Council (SBIFARMC) said they have rallied to the call by the SBMA for a ban on plastics as their contribution to the cause of environmental protection and sustainable development.

The SBMA had enforced a “No Plastic Bag/No Styrofoam” policy among retail establishments inside the Subic Bay Freeport Zone starting January 1 and has put in place stiff penalties for repeated violations.

“Ito ngayon ang adbokasya ng IFARMC na nais naming iparating sa mga residente, lalo na iyong mga nakatira sa tabi ng mga ilog (This is now the IFARMC's advocacy that we would like to convey to residents, especially those living by the riverside),” said SBIFARMC chairman Restituto Del Rosario.

“Ang mga itinatapon na plastic sa mga ilog ay pumapatay sa yamang-dagat na ikinabubuhay natin. Kaya huwag sana tayong magtatapon ng basura, lalo na ang mga plastic, sa ilog at sa dagat (Plastics that are thrown into the river kill marine resources, which is our livelihood),” Rosario appealed.

He added that in conjunction with its advocacy project, the fishermen’s group will plant mangrove trees and undertake regular coastal clean-up drives along the coastlines and in the sea off Barangay Baraka in Subic, Zambales and Barangay Barretto in Olongapo City.

SBMA chairman Roberto Garcia said the agency will continue to support SBIFARMC in its projects to prevent illegal fishing and to preserve marine biodiversity in Subic Bay.

“The SBIFARMC is our major partner in securing and preserving marine biodiversity here. We are glad that we are again together in this advocacy against the use of plastics and Styrofoam materials that pollute the environment,” Garcia said.

The SBIFARMC is an organization representing fishermen from communities around Subic Bay — the town of Morong in Bataan, the municipalities of San Antonio and Subic in Zambales, and Olongapo City.

The council, which is supported by the SBMA through its Ecology Center, has been deputized by the Philippine Maritime Police and Philippine Coast Guard, and recognized by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) as a partner against illegal fishing.

With financial assistance from the SBMA, the SBIFARMC has been able to implement various projects, such as the manufacture and installation of 60 artificial reef modules in the coastal areas of Morong, Subic Bay, and San Antonio, Zambales.

The SBMA assistance has also provided livelihood projects to SBIFARMC members and benefited their children through a scholarship program.

In the recent “Araw ng Mangingisda” celebration, the SBIFARMC organized a three-kilometer fun run to raise funds for its upcoming advocacy projects.

The fun run also helped raise awareness on environmental protection and marine resources conservation. (RAV/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTO:
Participants break out from the starting point during the fun-run organized by Subic Bay fisher folks during the “Araw ng Mangingisda” celebration on Saturday.

Read More

Subic issues ban on plastics in retail establishments

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) through its Ecology Center has implemented the “no plastic” policy applicable to retail establishments inside the Subic Bay Freeport zone.

In a memorandum issued by the Ecology Center dated December 27, 2012, the SBMA said that no retail establishment in the Subic Bay Freeport shall provide to any customer at the point of sale plastic bags as packaging material on dry goods. Instead, a reusable bag or the brown paper bag shall be used or provided.

The policy took effect on January 1.

It added that retail establishments dealing with wet goods may use plastic materials as primary packaging material only.

However, alternative primary packaging materials, such as old newspapers, scrap papers, banana leaves, reusable microwaveable containers, among others shall be used whenever possible.

Styrofoam and other similar materials as containers for food, produce and other products have also been banned.

“We hope that the neighboring communities around the Freeport can implement the same policy, besides it will be nice for people to back to the habit of using brown paper bag, reusable bags or even the trusty bayong instead of using plastic and other non-biodegradable materials,” said Angel Bagaloyos of the SBMA’s Ecology Center.

Bagaloyos explained that anyone caught using plastic or other banned materials will be meted with penalties ranging from a simple warning for the first offense or a fine of P5,000 for the second offense and a P10,000-fine and suspension of operation for the third and final offense. (Anthony Bayarong, Manila Times)

Read More