THOUSANDS of residents and city and barangay officials of Lapu-Lapu City joined the international coastal and underwater clean-up day on Saturday.
The opening program for the 27th International Clean-up Day started at 6 a.m. at the Mactan Shrine and it was headed by Councilor Alexander Gestopa, representing the mayor who was out of town, and lawyer Rose Liza Osorio, executive director of Coastal Conservation and Education.
In her message read by Gestopa, Mayor Paz Radaza said the city is developing an ambitious tourism product that revolves around the environment.
“No tourist would want to explore our city when all they see is garbage scattering along the shoreline. We have to protect our natural resources,” said Radaza.
Two months ago, in her State of the City Address, she announced that they will open the Olango Island as the new tourism frontier. “This initiative will allow our city to continue to stay ahead in this highly competitive tourism market,” she said.
The simultaneously cleanup activity started at 7 a.m. Some 200 scuba divers from the Lapu-Lapu Police, Mandaue Police, Patriot Divers, Philippine Coast Guard and Crimson resort retrieved 200 kilos of garbage from underneath the sea fronting the beaches in the Hilutungan channel. /CORRESPONDENT NORMAN V. MENDOZA