MARINE debris collected in Barangay Maribago, Lapu-Lapu City, dropped by more than 40 percent during the 40th International Coastal and Underwater Cleanup on Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025.
The City Environment and Natural Resources Office (Cenro) said divers retrieved 37 sacks of garbage weighing 283 kilograms from the waters off a private resort in Maribago, down from 474 kilograms in 2024.
Fishing lines topped the list of collected items at 265 pieces, followed by 229 food wrappers. Beverage bottles and caps tallied 192 and 170, respectively, while construction materials accounted for 157 pieces. Cenro said the figures were validated through data cards filled out by participants.
About 250 divers from at least 13 diving groups joined the activity, up from 110 last year.
Simultaneous coastal cleanups in all mainland barangays and Olango Island added 7.6 tons of garbage. The activities began at 6 a.m.
Mayor Ma. Cynthia “Cindi” Chan thanked volunteers for showing “the true spirit of volunteerism and concern for the seas and shorelines.”
“Hinaot nga ato kining ipadayon ug mas palapdan pa aron mapreserbar nato ang kalimpyo sa atong baybayon alang sa sunod nga henerasyon (I hope we can continue and even expand these efforts so we can preserve the cleanliness of our coastlines for the next generation),” Chan said.
This year’s cleanup carried the theme “Turning the Tide on Ocean Trash and #SeatheChange.” / DPC