The women-led shoreline cleanup volunteer project of Sipalay City, the top beach and diving destination in Negros Occidental, bagged one of the major prizes in the Green Destinations Top 100 Story Awards at the Internationale Tourismus-Börse (ITB) Berlin 2024 in Germany Wednesday night (Thursday morning in the Philippines). The southern Negros city’s story, “Lakbayon (Steps) – Women Steps Toward Sustainability”, got second place in the Thriving Communities Category, together with Tibau do Sul, Brazil’s “The Oyster`s Smile” at first place, while Katon-Karagai, Kazakhstan’s sustainable development model on the rescue of a remote Kazakh region received the third place.

Sipalay’s inspiring coastal cleanup story wins global tourism award. (2024, March 8). SunStar Bacolod, p. 3.