We are aghast by a recent report about a tourist defecating on Boracay Island’s white-sand shores, and another burying diaper on the sand? What on earth were they thinking? We are reminded by this usual equation: The more the tourists, the more the trash. Indeed, fun and merriment tend to end up messy in many beaches. Vacationers both domestic and foreign must be reminded to keep our coastlines clean. Do not to trash these favorite destinations. Beach litter is not only an eyesore, it pollutes the environment and kills marine life that get entangled in trash or when they mistake rubbish for food. According to the Ocean Conservancy data, in 2013 during the clean-up of some 13,000 miles of coastlines in 92 countries, more than 12.3 million pounds of trash, from cigarette butts to plastic bags, from food wrappers to beverage bottles, to anything you can imagine, including an air-conditioner and a couch, were recovered.

More tourists, more trash?. (2019, August 24). Panay News, p. 6.