An environmental group held a coastal cleanup today in one of Manila Bay’s remaining mangrove forests as part of its commemoration of Earth Month this April.
Members and volunteers of Earth Island Institute–Philippines (EII-P) gathered garbage washed up on the shores at the Las Piñas–Parañaque Wetland Park (LPPWP) to call attention to the twin crises of plastic pollution plaguing and fossil fuel over-dependence in the country.
EII-P noted that much of the waste collected consisted of single-use plastics commonly found along Philippine coastlines.
“Communities on the frontlines bear the heaviest burden,” Trixie Concepcion, Regional Director of EII-AP, said, adding: “The solution lies in shifting to people-centered renewable energy, reducing plastic production, and empowering communities to protect their environment before it’s too late.”
The clean-up is part of EII-AP’s Earth Day Enviskwela campaign themed “Our Power, Our Planet” to demonstrate informed and empowered communities as part of local and global environmental protection initiatives.
“Cleaning our coastlines is more than removing trash,” Concepcion said. “It is about challenging the systems that create this pollution and empowering communities to demand solutions. Today’s clean-up reminds us that people have the power to shape a cleaner, more sustainable energy future,” she added.
Several cleanup volunteers belonging to the Firefly Brigade pedaled to the site as part of the activity and to demonstrate sustainable, low-carbon alternatives to fossil fuel-based transportation.
No to plastics
Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives-Asia Pacific (GAIA-AP), meanwhile, said it is time to look to decentralized resilient systems like Zero Waste and micro-renewables.
Arpita Bhagat, Plastic Policy Officer of GAIA Asia Pacific, said reuse, refill and repair solutions must be put in place as homegrown, accessible, affordable and non-toxic alternative to the widespread use of plastics.
“Governments must invest in scaling up these solutions to build a more resilient and sustainable economy,” Bhagat said, underscoring the country’s over reliance on petrochemicals have exposed the planet to deep harms.
Both EII-P and GAIA-AP have strongly oppose policies, programs and projects that put waste-to-energy (WTE) incineration as a solution to plastic waste in the ocean or clogging cities’ floodways.
WTE incinerators rely on tons of plastic wastes as feedstock on a daily basis to generate energy, the groups reveal. The practice is pushed in communities such as Smokey Mountain, Cebu, Davao, Pampanga, Iloilo, Siargao and many other cities in the region.
Weaning away from fossil fuels
EII-P noted that global conflicts, such as the ongoing hostilities in the Middle East, cause skyrocketing fuel prices in the county and expose the vulnerability of economies dependent on fossil fuels.
Only energy companies profit during the crisis while poor communities and marginalized sectors bear the costs of supply disruptions, the group said.
“Fossil fuels are not only driving climate change—they are also connected to many of the environmental pressures affecting coastal ecosystems today,” Concepcion said. “Every typhoon, flood, or heatwave is intensified by carbon emissions from oil, coal, and gas. At the same time, plastics made from these same fossil fuels are choking our coastlines and harming marine life,” she added.
EII-P said the fuel shock underscores the need to accelerate the transition to renewable energy systems that are more stable and resilient.
“Climate change driven by fossil fuel emissions further stresses marine ecosystems, from ocean acidification to warming seas, intensifying storms, and accelerating coastal erosion,” EII-P said. Mangroves, coral reefs, and wetlands—the natural barriers protecting communities—are increasingly under pressure, the group underscored.
April 22 is global Earth Day. # (Raymund B.Villanueva)
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KODAO is a media partner of EII-AP’s Earth Day Enviskwela 2026 campaign.
