SCUBAsureros dive to keep 100 Islands litter-free

ALAMINOS CITY – To help preserve the clean water at the Hundred Islands National Park (HINP) here, the Alaminos  city government and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources have launched a regular SCUBAsurero underwater clean-up last Friday.

The underwater clean-up program was launched by the city government of Alaminos in 2016 under the leadership of Mayor Arthur Celeste originally only for a yearly clean-up campaign.

SCUBAsurero give the OK hand sign as they stand behind the trash they collected underwater. (PIAPangasinan photo by AMB)

Miguel Sison, city tourism officer, said SCUBAsurero will now become a monthly activity to sustain the environmental protection campaign of Hundred Islands.

Sison said 30 trained divers from the city government of Alaminos, including volunteers from national government agencies and private groups, will take part in  the monthly underwater clean-up drive every month. 

For Mamerto Viray, team leader of the SCUBAsureros, the project has effectively decreased the volume of underwater garbage. “Ngayon, malinis-linis na,” he said.

Viray said the Hundred Islands Diving Club plans to train volunteers in scuba diving to help in maintaining the cleanliness of this tourist destination. 

The “Basura Mo, Iuwi Mo” program also implemented by the city government requires a

P200 refundable group deposit that will entitle a group to two trash bags for biodegradable and non-biodegradable trash.

Once the visitors return to the wharf with their filled trash bags, they get back the P200 deposit and receive a gift certificate (free entrance and free environmental fee for two persons) in their next visit to the HINP.  

The smoking ban is also strictly implemented at HINP. (PIA Pangasinan)

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