Pepsi Ayos Pinas! volunteers return to Hamilo Coast

MANILA, Philippines - Picking up from where they left off, Pepsi’s Ayos Pinas! program returned to Nasugbu, Batangas with a fresh group of youth volunteers for a second — and much bigger — beach cleanup.

Some 200 eager youth volunteers took part in the cleanup. They were divided into three groups, each of them combing the coastlines of Hamilo Coast’s Pico de Loro and Papaya coves, as well as nearby Barangay Calayo for both biodegradable and non-biodegradable trash.

A group of volunteer divers also cleared the waters of Hamilo’s marine protected coves, Etayo and San Telmo, of as much garbage as they could. All in all, the participants were able to collect over 215.7 kilos of trash.

The cleanup is part of Pepsi’s Ayos Pinas! volunteer program, which aims to strengthen the youth’s love for their country by giving them the opportunity to partner with Pepsi in various worthwhile causes — while having fun along the way.

“Through Pepsi Ayos Pinas!, we hope to be able to help create positive change for a better Philippines. This second beach cleanup in Nasugbu is a continuation of our efforts to protect and sustain the environment,” says Mikey Rosales, Pepsi brand manager.

The Pepsi Ayos Pinas! program, in turn, is part of Pepsi’s “Sarap Magbago” philosophy. “Sarap Magbago” encourages the new generation of Filipino youth to keep believing in a better future that is worth striving for — in a future and a country that they deserve.

“It’s a wonderful activity, especially now that our seas are suffering from pollution from nearby cities. Even a little trash trapped in a coral becomes a threat to the ecosystem. We hope they will do this again next year and in the years to come,” says Wesley Caballa, SM Land senior manager for sports and recreation.

Pepsi conducted the beach cleanup in partnership with SM Land’s Hamilo Coast residential and leisure community, WWF-Philippines (World Wide Fund for Nature - Philippines), and Ocean Conservancy.

WWF is the world’s largest conservation organization, while Ocean Conservancy is a nonprofit advocacy group that promotes the protection and preservation of marine resources around the world.

The Hamilo Coast forms part of the Verde Island Passage of the Coral Triangle, which is the center of marine biodiversity in the world. Comprising 13 limestone-ringed coves demarcating Batangas and Cavite, the coastline needs continuous maintenance, protection, and care — the only way to help marine life recover from the harmful effects of illegal fishing, poachers, climate change, and pollution.

“I’d like to thank each and everyone of you for your participation here. Pico de Loro is the first area of Hamilo Coast that we at SM Land have developed. From the very beginning we were very sensitive in preserving the environment as we developed this coast. That is also why we have partnered with WWF-Philippines from the start. The coastal cleanup today is already a step toward the change we want to achieve,” says SM Land vice president and Pico de Loro Beach and Country Club project director Carlos Chikiamco.

The young Pepsi volunteers all expressed their enthusiasm and satisfaction over the Ayos Pinas! beach cleanup.

“I joined the beach cleanup because I have been looking forward to helping the environment. I really enjoyed it. Not only I was able to contribute, I also made new friends here,” says volunteer Rose Arbie Beltran.

“I admit that I used to have many vices, and I decided to join this cleanup, for a change. I also love to travel and wherever I go, I want to pitch in so I could help improve and make the place more beautiful. Then I tell all my friends to visit that place as well. This beach cleanup allowed me to do that,” shares Maria Antoinette Imperial.

And then there was volunteer Cenne Talbo, who at 11 years old was able to see for herself how waste has become a worrisome problem for the country’s beaches.

“At a young age Cenne already realizes that our very own garbage harms our coastlines. Taking care of the environment is also about taking care of ourselves,” says Isobel Resurreccion, WWF-Philippines environmental education officer.

The Hamilo Coast effort is also part of Pepsi’s support for the worldwide 25th Annual International Coastal Cleanup (ICC), organized by Ocean Conservancy. The event is the world’s largest, one-day volunteer effort to clean up the marine environment.

During the ICC, volunteers in over 100 countries go to their local beaches, rivers, lakes and canals to show their commitment to cleaner waterways. Hamilo Coast is among the waterways cleaned up as part of the ICC event.

“Our cleanup here at Nasugbu may just be a small portion of all the world’s coastlines, but when taken as part of the ICC, you realize that it’s part of something that makes a bigger impact,” Rosales says.

Aside from the beach cleanup, a lecture was also held that day about the importance of reducing, reusing and recycling trash. After all, not only does uncollected trash leave a dirtier environment, it also endangers wildlife.

The first beach cleanup was held last May 14 to encourage the Filipino youth to participate in positive change during their summer, while spending it in a fun and meaningful way. This time around, Pepsi was able to attract more volunteers and clean a much bigger area.

“I guess many people heard how the first cleanup was a success, and that encouraged more people to join the second cleanup. The volunteers today are all fresh faces, so a new set of people will be able to share what they learned here to the next group of volunteers. That would go a longer way in promoting change in the country,” says Rosales.

Visit http://sarapmagbago.com/ or go to Pepsi Sarap Magbago on Facebook for updates on further projects under the Pepsi Ayos Pinas! campaign.