Stakeholders join Clean Up Panay Project in Aklan

ABOUT 480 participants joined the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)-PENRO Aklan in cleaning up of Aklan River, streets and thoroughfares, and coastal areas in three barangays of Kalibo, Aklan last Aug 17, 2019.

The participants included 4Ps beneficiaries, local government unit of Kalibo, Barangay Councils of Poblacion, New Buswang, and Pook, Kalibo Municipal Police Station, Philippine Army reservist, local residents, and a private company (Mabuhay Maritime Express Transport Incorporated).

The cleanup activity collected a total of 273 sacks with estimated 6,825 kilograms of residuals comprising single use plastics, PET bottles, styrofoams, diapers, and many more which were mostly dumped indiscriminately in river, streets, thoroughfares and coastal area.

During the Climate Reality and Environmental Forum held on August 22, 2019, OIC-PENR Officer Merlene B. Aborka encouraged the local government units and barangays officials to help the government in the mobilization of their respective communities for the Clean Up Panay Project.

The project encourages communities to clean up their respective areas of responsibility as a “way of life” or on a regular basis, like every Friday or Saturday to sustain the efforts.

Francisco E. Milla, Jr., Regional Executive Director of DENR Western Visayas expressed his gratitude on the active participation and support of the public in cleaning up the riverbanks of Aklan River.

“It is important that we help clean up and free our rivers from garbage to avoid contaminating and polluting our source of clean water,” he said.

The Clean-Up Panay Project is a priority project of DENR Secretary Roy A. Cimatu that took inspiration in the recent rehabilitation of Boracay Island and Manila Bay and ordered DENR in Western Visayas to take the lead in the cleanup of rivers and shorelines in Panay Island. (DENR-PENRO Aklan)