IF the Hundred Islands National Park (HINP) continues to attract more visitors, credit must also go to Alaminos City’s “Scubasurero” project that keeps the islands environmentally clean.

The project, a brainchild of Mayor Arthur Celeste launched in 2016, directs divers to scour the islands and every month to clean and clear Pangasinan’s premier tourist attraction of garbage and debris.

Scuba divers turn in their haul of wastes from deep waters of 100 Islands. (Contributed)

Two years after Scubasurero project was launched, it gained more support from licensed divers from national government agencies and private organizations by participating in the program.

Among those who have partnered with the city government are divers from the Philippine National Police, Maritime Police, Coast Guard, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, among others.

They gather every month to dive into the waters around Quezon Island, Governor’s Island, Children’s Island and Cuenco Island.

Mamerto Viray, 64, a resident of Barangay Lucap, Alaminos and one of the divers, said he hears tourists noting the clean environment in the islands and in the city.

Alvin Domondon, 34, also a licensed diver from Barangay Victoria this city, said the project has done wonders as it tremendously decreased the volume of garbage previously collected underwater here.

From an average of 15 garbage-full bags collected every clean-up, the latest was only five garbage bags, Domondon said.

Meanwhile, the “Basura Mo, Iuwi Mo (Your garbage, bring it home)” program of the city government has been welcomed by visitors themselves, said Rosalie Salalila-Aruelo, assistant tourism officer of Alaminos.

Under the program, a refundable P200 group bond is required of visitors going to the HINP and each group is given two trash bags (for biodegradable and non-biodegradable wastes) they generate during their picnic at the HINP.

The visitors get their refund after turning over the two bags filled with their garbage and are rewarded with a gift certificate of free entrance for two persons and free environmental fee on their next HINP trip. The gift certificate has no expiry date.

“Tourists become our Island rangers because we imbibe in their consciousness the care for the environment while they’re enjoying their HINP trip,” Aruelo said.

Shara Amarillo and Dennis Bona, also employees at the City Tourism Office, said while it would take time before local tourists imbibe the importance of making the islands garbage-free, many hail the program as unique and foreigners are clearly appreciative of the program.

Data from the Alaminos Tourism Office showed that from October 2017 when the project was launched up to October this year, a total of 31,835.3 kilograms (kgs) of biodegradable wastes and another 14,653.32 kgs of non-biodegradable materials have been surrendered by tourists from the “Basura Mo, Iuwi Mo” project.

Of this number, the City Tourism Office has given 65,139 pairs of garbage bags to tourists.

(PhilStar Wire Service)

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