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Zamboanga City—American and Filipino soldiers in
Mindanao, where al-Qaeda-affiliated bandits are active,
staged a different war, this time not against lawless
elements, but to preserve aquatic resources as they
marked the Earth Day 2008 celebration.
Participants from various sectors helped mop up
destructive rubbish that has fouled beaches and coral
reefs in the violence-prone Sulu province. The province
is known for its pristine beach resorts and rich marine
reserves.
In just
one hour, the cleanup yielded some 600 kilos of debris,
including plastic materials and tin cans.
At least
20 unarmed US soldiers, 50 Marines and hundreds of
local residents headed by Sulu Gov. Sakur Tan joined the
cleanup in barangay Umangay, Patikul town, a known
bailiwick of the Abu Sayyaf, a bandit group included on
the US list of terrorist organizations.
Muslim
and Christian religious leaders, teachers,
schoolchildren, local civic organizations, government
officials and families helped remove garbage from the
shorelines of Patikul.
Famous
for its white-powdery sand, the 1.2-mile-long Litayon
coast is a major fishing area for Tausugs in Sulu. For
local holidaymakers, it is paradise. On fine weekends,
many Tausugs spend the day to bask in the sun and bathe
in the blue-green waters of the sea.
“We
recognize the need for a clean environment and secure
the future for our children. We recognize the clean air
and water resources for the children. We have made
concrete, significant contributions for the Filipino
people,” Col. William Coultrop, commander of the US
forces in Mindanao, told a crowd during his speech
before the coastal cleanup.
“This is
our effort to restore the goodness of environment that
we have in the Philippines. We have a common goal in
sustaining the environment security. The American people
and the United States not only pursue good military
strategy, but are in support of the protection of the
environment and good governance. We remain your loyal
partners in protecting the environment,” Coultrop added.
The
event, dubbed as “Bayanihan para sa Kalikasan,” aimed to
reach out to the conflicted towns in the
province of
Sulu
to share the responsibility and accountability in the
preservation of marine resources in the Sulu and
Sulawesi Seas.
The Sulu
Sea is one of the richest fishing grounds in the
Philippines.
Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines share control
over this extensive marine environment. It is about
900,000 square kilometers and boasts of 1,800 species of
fish, 400 species of algae and over 450 types of coral.
The
Unesco World Heritage Site Tubbataha Reef, the
best-known site in the Sulu Sea for its 81,000 acres of
corals, is also considered the world’s best dive spot
for underwater adventure. However, the Tubbataha Reef is
not spared from destruction. Fishermen from neighboring
countries frequent the area to catch fish using
destructive methods like dynamite and cyanide fishing,
damaging and killing the corals.
The
pearls from the Sulu archipelago are considered as the
world’s finest. Previously gathered extensively in the
entire sea, Sulu pearls are now gathered only in the
extreme southwest of Marungas Island. In the last
decades Sulu pearls commanded high prices in the world
market when the region produced millions of high-quality
pearls every year.
Today,
however, some of the most expensive Sulu pearls are in
the possession of the wealthiest in Europe.
Conservationists blame the number of increasing illegal
fishermen exploiting the seas. This has killed the
once-thriving pearl industry of Sulu.
“The
United States recognizes that protection of the
environment is crucial to economic growth,” said Elzadia
Washington, deputy chief of mission of the United States
Agency for International Development in Manila.
“Coastal
cleanup is not just about pollution cleanup, it is also
toxic- waste prevention,” shares Datu Fasher Julkanain,
the village chief of Umangay.
Datu
Fasher understands that the cleanup centers on educating
and empowering the people of Sulu to become a part of
the marine debris solution. “People must be made
conscious that there will be no debris to collect if
people in the first place will not toss waste,
especially the nonbiodegradable ones anywhere, much less
on the beach where the waves will wash the litter to the
sea,” he added.
Datu
Fasher was shocked after learning that styrofoam ware
that enter the coast rot only after 18 years, while it
takes 50 years for a tin can to corrode. He was even
more shocked when informed that it takes 1 million years
for a glass bottle that enters the sea to disintegrate.
The
women in Sulu are also supporting the initiatives to
save the marine ecosystems. “Working to clean our
polluted coastline reminds us of our responsibility
toward our children’s future. Together, let’s help
realize our children’s dream of a green environment.”
Tetchie
Cruz-Capellan, chief of the
Alliance
for Mindanao Off-grid Renewable Energy Program, said the
group has launched its ultimate weapon against the
destruction of Sulu Sea by protecting its vibrant
ecosystem from further damage through a daylong cleanup.
“This is
a major concern for us since thousands of our
beneficiaries in Sulu depend largely on the Sulu Sea for
livelihood. Millions of people depend on the Sulu Sea
for food. The sea provides opportunities for all
people,” Capellan said.
“Everyone has a stake in the conservation of the Sulu
Sea. Our fundamental role here is to be able to use the
Sulu Sea sustainably into the distant future. The aim of the day is to raise
awareness and create an understanding among our
community of the environmental issues that we face. In
the end it will be up to Sulu people themselves to keep
their sea productive,” she explained. |
