The yearly Coastal Cleanup, hosted by Chevron Philippines Inc. (CPI), brought together 250 volunteers in San Pascual, Batangas. Employees, contractors and community partners united to collect 232 sacks of trash from the shoreline close to the Chevron Batangas terminal, a coastal stretch that also functions as a nesting ground for Olive-Ridley sea turtles.
The programme, held in line with the International Coastal Cleanup, was made possible via the collaboration of multiple organizations, including SRDC, CJI General Services Inc., 5G Security Inc. (5GS), the Philippine National Police (PNP), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary (PCGA), Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office (MENRO), City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO), and Barangay Danglayan.
According to Mae Belle Albay, Head Operator at Chevron Philippines Inc., the unity among participants ensured the success of this year’s cleanup.
He stated that despite the area being within Chevron’s operational control, the responsibility to sanitize it is a shared one.
“This cleanup demonstrates what’s possible when everyone—local government, community members, our employees, and contractors—comes together with a shared purpose.
Although this area is within Chevron’s operational control, it remains a shared space that we all rely on and have a responsibility to protect.
Collaborative efforts like this show the power of collective action in preserving the environment as part of our environmental stewardship,” she said.
The largest group of volunteers came from the Manila Shared Services Centre (MSSC) with 118 members collecting 84 sacks of waste, followed by 5GS with 30 volunteers gathering 28 sacks, while Chevron employees and contractors contributed 25 volunteers and 59 sacks. The PCGA sent 7 volunteers who collected 14 sacks.
Mae concluded by emphasizing that the one cleanup per year had to stop because sustainability goes beyond one-day efforts.
“It used to be just one big cleanup each year. But since 2015, we’ve shifted to more regular efforts to prevent waste from piling up.
By organizing smaller, more frequent cleanups, we’ve found that we can make a bigger, more lasting impact on our environment,” she added.
