The Philippines has surpassed its International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) records during the activity conducted by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) on Saturday in 250 coastal sites across the country to raise awareness about the impact of plastic pollution on marine life and ecosystems. From 35,000 volunteers last year, DENR recorded 74,075 volunteers from 1,913 government, academe, and private sector organizations. From the northernmost Pasuquin municipality in Ilocos Region to the southernmost Gian municipality in Socksargen Region, volunteers of all ages gathered at beaches, riverbanks, and coastlines and meticulously collected a total of 352,479 kilograms trash and debris, ranging from plastics to other waste materials during the cleanup activity.

PH coastal cleanup yields record volunteers, trash collection. (2024, September 23). SunStar Pampanga, p. 2.