Editorial: Trash on the sea bed

ON OCTOBER 26, 2018, SunStar Davao published a photo depicting trash on the sea floor near Sta. Ana Pier. This is not the first time we publish such photo.

In the past we have shown pictures of trash scattered at the shore along Isla Verde, Barangay 23-C. Photos of children living near the area playing on a shore full of trash.

Some would say that the trash in the photos is coming from the residents living in the area, which is also partly true. It is also true that some of this trash have come from other areas that have washed ashore.

A netizen also commented on SunStar Davao's Facebook page that he noted a trail of trash between Davao City and Samal Island.

Is something already being done about this? Yes, but there is so much to be done. A lot of information and education campaign is being done. Environmental advocates are taking the lead in informing the public about the trash in our seas.

The advocates are also working with legislators on crafting policies on reducing trash going into the sea and from reducing to banning the use of single-use plastics to waste management.

However, these efforts are not enough. While the awareness is high among those who have access to the internet, it cannot be said the same for those living in the shore.

If any information has been cascaded down to the grassroots, it must not have been cascaded properly.

Environmental advocates and the government must craft an effective communication campaign that will be fully understood by those in the grassroots level. Maybe it is not enough that we communicate it to them in the vernacular. It is important that we also help them understand the perils of living in areas filled with trash.

The government could also craft a program that empowers coastal communities in keeping the area clean. Probably a cash for work program for those living in the area.

However, addressing the problem still boils down to the general public. We cannot simply throw our trash around, we must have the discipline to throw our trash properly. We cannot say that throwing a piece of candy wrapper into the sea will not hurt anyone. That single candy wrapper you threw into the sea forms part of a hundred candy wrappers that may have been thrown by different individuals in different places.

Let us not wait for an island or shore of trash to form in Davao Gulf or along the coasts of Davao City before we act. We can start by being disciplined in our waste management.

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