Environment and Cleanliness: Manila bay clean up

Cleanliness and wellness of our environment is a must! Simple, everyday actions can help make the difference, efforts to create a clean, environmentally-friendly city and a positive stance towards the environment are continuous.

First cleanup drive for the year attended by thousands of volunteers, Former Las Pinas Rep. Cynthia Villar  led the clean-up drive at Manila Bay in the Las Piñas-Parañaque Critical Habitat & Eco-Tourism Area or LPPCHEA where some 1,500 sacks of garbage were collected by thousands of volunteers.

The Villar Foundation is continuing its partnership with DZRH’s Theme, ‘Makabagong Bayanihan Manila Bay Clean Up." Last year,  Cynthia Villar, also managing director of Villar Foundation,  inked a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with Manila Broadcasting Company (MBC) represented by radio station DZRH in its Manila Bay clean up drive. 

The Villar Foundation together with students and other volunteers also conduct weekly cleanups. “The more partners we work with, the better it will be for the environment,” she said.

In cleaning Manila Bay, Villar was joined by 1,000 volunteers from schools, barangays, NGOs, socio-civic organizations, and other private individuals and groups.

Villar, underscored the need to clean our environment to prevent flooding. 

“Protection of the environment will save us from disasters and calamities. Calamities are added burden to us. It can make one poorer because all efforts would be futile if properties acquired through hard labor will only be destroyed by floods and other calamities,” explained by Ms Villar.

To avert occurrence of this worst scenario, Villar cited the need to clean  rivers, creeks and other bodies of water especially Manila Bay. 

She said the LPPCHEA, also called Freedom Island, which is accessible from the Coastal Road, is a very important area for the nearby cities of Las Pinas and Parañaque and some municipalities of Cavite to prevent flooding. 

Regularly clearing Manila Bay of tons of garbage and other debris is in consonance with the foundation’s partnership with radio DZRH. This year, MBC and DZRH  lead the Manila Bay Cleanup project along the coastline of Manila Bay from Navotas to Bacoor, Cavite. The clean up activities will start at 7 AM to 11 AM and the garbage collected will be turned over to appropriate government solid waste collector in the area.

“The Villar Foundation and DZRH agree that this is a joint cooperative undertaking, but more importantly, it is a major public service activity that shall help contribute to the promotion of a livable, healthier and ecological sustainable Manila Bay,” cited the MoA.

She has been vocal about her strong support for the protection of Manila Bay. 

“We will continue to support campaigns or drives to protect Manila Bay and neighboring areas including LPPCHEA. Moreover, we will continue to oppose projects that will cause damage and destruction to the bay and nearby cities,” cited Villar. If carried out, the Manila Bay reclamation project that Villar is opposing is seen to cause severe flooding in numerous barangays -- 11 in Parañaque, 37 in Bacoor and 17 in Las Piñas.

For more details about the projects and programs of the Villar Foundation, please visit www.villarfoundation.org or follow www.twitter.com/VFoundationInc.