[Iloilo City] – [Iloilo City] – Earth Day is an annual event celebrated worldwide on April 22 to demonstrate support for environmental protection. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) celebrates Earth Day 2024, with the theme: “Planet vs. Plastics,” to address the global problem of plastic waste pollution. Participating in this worldwide event, the Mines and Geosciences Bureau Regional Office VI organized a coastal clean-up activity at Brgy. Sto. Niño Norte, Arevalo, Iloilo City in partnership with barangay officials and the private sector. MGB VI initially launched the PLASTIKalikasan program to serve as a long-term clean-up initiative for the mining industry to minimize the use of plastic waste in the mine sites and the host and neighboring communities. OIC Regional Cecilia L. Ochavo-Saycon formally opened the program at 6:00 in the morning at the grounds of Breakthrough Restaurant in Arevalo. She thanked the barangay officials and permit holders joining the coastal clean-up and PLASTIKalikasan launching. Engr. Ronald C. Villamora, OIC Chief of the Mine Safety, Environment, and Social Development Division briefed the participants about the program. Thirty-five personnel from six Mineral Processing Permit (MPP) holders within the province of Iloilo joined onsite to help in the coastal clean-up. Some offsite participants are yet to submit their post-event report on their respective clean-up activities held in host communities in the permit areas in other provinces. A total of 20 bags of plastic waste weighing 133.7 kilograms were collected. (MGB VI).
