LINGAYEN, Pangasinan—A throng of Capitol employees and volunteers from various national government agencies and organizations participated in the provincial government-organized coastal clean-up held at the stretch of Lingayen Beach here.
An advance activity held in observance of the International Coastal Clean-Up Day was celebrated on Sept. 16. The event led by Governor Amado I. Espino III in the afternoon of Sept. 15, coincided with the city’s regular weekly coastal cleanup drive, which seeks to keep the Lingayen beach clean and in order.
Espino thanked Capitol employees and volunteers for heeding his call to help preserve the Lingayen beachfront, “which is frequently visited by local tourist and guests from other provinces,” he said.
Along with provincial government offices and hospitals, participating provincial offices of national government agencies included the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Bureau of Fire Protection, National Commission on Indigenous Peoples, National Food Authority; and some non-government organizations.
Environment advocates, armed with their cleaning materials, made the rounds at Lingayen Beach to collect plastics and other garbage left by beachgoers. The team collected 150 kilograms of waste materials.
At the Capitol beachfront, the cleanup teams had a hard time looking for litter. “We have to extend the coverage of the clean-up activity beyond the Capitol beachfront where we were able to collect much of the garbage materials,” Environment and Natural Resources Office chief Nathaniel Pulido said.
Making the beach area safe from local tourists, Capitol security group members have been securing the area 24/7, as watchers in beach towers erected by the provincial government keep an eye on tourists while swimming.
A haven of beachgoers for bonding with families and friends, the Capitol beachfront, aside from having cottages and sheds that the public could use for free, allow visitors to relish fun and excitement, and use the stretch of the Capitol baywalk for their leisure activities such as aerobics, Zumba exercise, biking and running.
“The regular conduct of a weekly coastal clean-up, which started under the administration of Governor ‘Pogi’ Espino, prepares our coastline for the influx of a large number beach goers visiting the Capitol beachfront on weekends,” Pulido said.
He likewise urged the public to maintain the cleanliness and orderliness of the cottages and the environs of the Capitol baywalk.
On September 11, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan led by Vice Governor Jose Ferdinand Z. Calimlim, Jr, urged Pangasinenses for a collective initiative to keep Lingayen beach area clean and green.
The creation of a special commission in-charge for the protection and cleanliness of the beach, as well as to assure security protocols and law enforcement, was also noted.
