OCCCI Junior Sheermasters champion environmental conservation

CEBU, Philippines — They are not only into sports, they are also advocates of environmental conservation.

Armed with trash bags while dressed in their team colors, the OCCCI Junior Sheermasters basketball players from 12 to 18 Under age groups and their coaches headed by Noel Mascariñas made their weekend worthwhile by cleaning up thrash and collecting debris along the shoreline of Brgy. Bantigue up to Panalian, Ipil in Ormoc City in support of the International Coastal Cleanup 2024.

Although based in the “City of Beautiful People”, OCCCI is a constant figure in Cebu sports. Its teams regularly competes in both commercial and developmental tournaments here, the most latest was the Sinulog Cup 2024 last January wherein the Sheermasters finished as first runner-up.

In all, over a hundred dedicated volunteers from the management and staff of Metro Ormoc Community Multi-Purpose Cooperative (OCCCI) led by SHEER Advocacy Officer Joel Hinay, District Managers Roger Siaboc, Aisa Dumalag, and Eugene Resurrecion, and Ormoc Branch Manager Rio Plaba joined the purposeful activity in partnership with the local government of Ormoc and the city’s Environment and Natural Resources Office (ENRO).

The young athletes gathered litters and encouraged their fellow basketball enthusiasts to help create a cleaner, healthier, and happier place for everyone. Their enthusiastic participation is a testament that they are truly the young masters of OCCCI’s SHEER (Sports, Health, Education, Environment, Resiliency) Advocacy. 

“It does not only serve as a platform for OCCCI to strengthen its cause for environmental stewardship and sustainable practices but also provides the volunteers with deeper connection to their local coastal areas and develop the sense of responsibility to protect and conserve them,” Hinay said in a statement.

Embracing the theme, “Clean Seas for Blue Economy”, several other branches of OCCCI across the country also took part in the meaningful undertaking simultaneously.