SHORE It Up (SIU), the award-winning corporate social responsibility program of Metro Pacific Investment Corp. (MPIC), recently concluded its seventh activity in Surigao City as part of the conglomerate’s commitment to environmental protection and preservation. The country’s longest corporate-backed environmental program, SIU involves volunteer scuba divers from the MVP Group of Companies to clean the seabed from nonbiodegradable waste materials. Participated in by some 100 divers from the MVP Group and host groups, the event is by far the biggest underwater cleanup activity in Mindanao, focusing on the Hinatuan Passage, a channel which covers seven towns of Surigao del Norte.
The simultaneous dive and coastal cleanup at the seaside boulevard and dock for outrigger boats yielded more than 2 tons of garbage, most of which were plastic bottles, wrappers, plastic utensils, old clothes and rubber tires.
Collaborating in this year’s environmental drive are the Surigao del Norte provincial government, Surigao City government, Philippine Coast Guard, the Philippine Navy, Philippine National Police Maritime Group, the Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Hotel Tavern and Punta Bilar Dive Center. Participating Metro Pacific firms are Philex Mining Corp., Silangan Mining Corp., Smart, PLDT Smart Foundation, PLDT, One Meralco Foundation, Maynilad and North Luzon Expressway, with media partners The Philippine Star and ABC TV 5.
The divers also conducted the Junior Environmental Scouts seminar involving children to inculcate concern for Mother Earth through creative art. This year’s edition gathered some 800 elementary-school participants from all over the province, the biggest batch so far for SIU.
The participants also held an environmental forum facilitated in by Marine Wildlife Watch of the Philippines Director AA Yaptinchay on the country’s fragile marine ecosystem and the role of divers in helping its ecological balance.
MPIC Vice President for Communications Melody del Rosario said that Surigao del Norte has been chosen to be the venue for this year’s edition to build on the momentum of SIU when it was held in Del Carmen town on Siargao Island in 2013.
She said the Metro Pacific Group hopes to cultivate a long-term partnership to bring about positive impact on the environment, economic and socicultural life of the province.
Since its inception in 2009 after Typhoon Ondoy struck, the program has been held in key coastal areas such as Mabini, Batangas; Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro; Subic Bay Freeport Zone; Hundred Islands National Park in Alaminos City, Pangasinan; Del Carmen in Siargao Island, and Panglao and Pamilacan Islands in Bohol.
Previous SIU editions generated Mangrove Propagation and Information Centers in Alaminos, Del Carmen and Bohol to sustain the environmental initiatives.
SIU has tapped more than 70,000 volunteers, and has partnered with some 300 local and national government agencies, community organizations, socio-civic groups, and private entities.
In 2013 alone, it was able to clean a coastline totaling to 328 kilometers and was able to protect some 5,000 hectares of mangroves through its CO2DC project at the Bakhaw Mangrove Forest in Del Carmen in Siargao Island.
Shore It Up is a recipient of the Public Relations Society of the Philippines’ Anvil Award of Merit for sustained environmental program for the environment from 2011 to 2013, as well as the Best Corporate Social Responsibility Program in the Corporate Governance Asia Award in the same period.