Bantay Dagat: Ocean Frontliners
Plastics are a threat to both humans and non-human species and their continued proliferation is an irony to the Cityโs claim that LIFE IS HERE. Bantay Dagat volunteers collected an average of 1,200 sacks of garbage from Davao Gulf each month for 2019 (Mindanao Times, 1,200 sacks of garbage collected each month in Davao Gulf โ ASU). According to reports, 63 whales and dolphins have been found dead in Davao Gulf since 2009, 47 of which have swallowed plastic trash mistaken as food. In addition to this are countless reports of turtles choking and dying due to plastic bags and straws. Thus, there is a need to be more conscious about our plastic consumption as majority of our plastic waste here in the City ends up in the Davao Gulf if not thrown properly. IDIS believes that the number of plastic wastes found in the gulf will continue to increase especially with the current flooding and city’s insatiable appetite for single-use plastics. Bantay Dagat continuously conducted coastal clean ups to help in cleaning Davao Gulf. City Government of Davao also provided trainings and machineries to help in the efforts of our volunteers. In addition to this, just this year, the City Council passed an ordinance regulating single-use plastics which will help in lessening the plastic consumption and waste in the City. We at IDIS believe that we should be consistent with our interventions and direct our efforts to the education and awareness at the grassroots level and reduce garbage at source. This also involves active participation of Dabawenyos in disciplining themselves in terms of lessening our waste and saying no to single-use plastics. ๐๐ป ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐น๐ฒ๐ฏ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ต ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ข๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ป, we all need to be aware of the importance of the oceans and of the threats humanity poses to their sustainability. But instead of being just a brief period in which concerns for our oceans are in the spotlight, it should be used by policymakers and advocates as an occasion to initiate substantial changes that will help make those concerns a part of our everyday lifestyle and ways of doing business.