LOOK: DENR conducts clean-up drive with Miss Teen Philippines bets 

Candidates of the Miss Teen Philippines are seen here picking up trash as they join the clean-up drive launched by the DENR at the Manila Bay on Saturday. Photo courtesy of the DENR

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) conducted another round of clean-up drive at the Manila Bay, this time enjoining the help of the candidates from the Miss Teen Philippines on Saturday.

Candidates of the Miss Teen Philippines. Photo courtesy of the DENR

Thirty-one candidates of the pageant, ranging from 14- to 18-years-old, attended the drive, which happened at the Manila Bay in front of the Aristocrat Restaurant on Roxas Boulevard, Manila.

DENR Undersecretary Benny Antiporda told INQUIRER.net that the clean-up drive serves to create awareness to teens and kids to keep Manila Bay free of trash.

“We also wanted to show that beauty queens ay hindi lang pang pageants, that they can also pick up mga maduduming basura,” Antiporda told INQUIRER.net in a phone interview.

The DENR official added that seven to eight sacks of trash were collected from the clean-up drive.

However, Antiporda said that there is still a lot of work to be done, since the Department of Public Works and Highways is still not done with the 1.5-kilometer dredging  works along the Manila Bay.

READ: DPWH wants Manila Bay dredging over by July

While the 31 candidates participated to clean the bay, only one of them will be crowned Miss Teen Philippines, as the pageant will have its coronation night on May 8 at the New Frontier Theater in Cubao, Quezon City. /jpv