The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO)Aklan,together with some 480 volunteers, led the Clean Up Panay Projectto clean the Aklan River, and the coastal areas and streets of Barangay Poblacion, New Buswang, and Pook in KaliboAklanon August 17, 2019.

Among the participants were the barangay councils and residents of the three barangays, beneficiaries of the government’s PantawidPamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), and the local government of Kalibo.

The Kalibo Municipal Police Station, reservists from the Philippine Army, and the private sector represented by the Maritime Express Transport Incorporated, also joined the activity.

A total of 273 sacks of trash weighing some 6,825 kilograms were collected including single use plastics, PET bottles, styrofoam, and used diapers.

DENR Western Visayas Regional Executive Director Francisco E. Milla, Jr., expressed gratitude on the active participation and support of the public in cleaning up the riverbanks of Aklan River.

“It is important that we help clean up and free our rivers from garbage to avoid contaminating and polluting our source of clean water,” Milla said.

During the Climate Reality and Environmental Forum held on August 22, 2019, OIC PENR Officer Merlene B. Aborka encouraged the local government units and barangay officials to help the government in the mobilization of their respective communities for the Clean Up Panay Project.Aborka said cleaning their areas of responsibility should be made a “way of life” or done regularly,such as every Friday or Saturday, to help sustain the cleanup efforts.

The CleanUp Panay Project is a priority project of DENR Secretary Roy A. Cimatu that took off from the successful rehabilitation of Boracay Island and the ongoing clean up of Manila Bay. Cimatu directed DENR Western Visayas to take the lead in the cleanup of rivers and shorelines in Panay Island./DENR-PENROAklan