LA UNION SURFING SPOT ASPIRES TO BE A CORAL REEF GARDEN
EL Yu, La Union's famed surfing spot in Urbiztondo, San Juan, would have more than its exciting waves and powdery beaches to offer with the launch of a multisectoral environmental collaboration.
Launched during the recent Earth Day celebration was Pawi-CAN, a sustainable waste management project by executive assistant firm, Athena, a multipronged corporate social responsibility project, which promoted marine biodiversity, waste management and environmental stewardship among locals and tourists.
The activity's highlight was an instructional demonstration on the assembly of scientifically certified coral reef substrates before they were transplanted underwater by members of EcoSurf, a surfing instructor group and free divers, who were also into environmental nurture.
The surfers underwent a coral planting certification, organized by the Fostering Education and Environment for Development (FEED) under the renowned marine biodiversity expert Annuar Abdullah, president and chief executive officer of Malaysia-based environmental conservation organization, Ocean Quest Global.
The volunteer participants underwent a rigid training on coral planting solution production, which would help coral growth at the lowest possible impact to the ocean sans the use of rubber tires or cement.
The process sought to restore the underwater coral cover for fishes to spawn and increase catch for the fisherfolk.
The undertaking was a collaborative effort of Athena with the San Juan Resort Restaurant and Hotel Association, Dragon 8 Junkshop, the Municipal Government of San Juan and FEED.
"La Union is a hallmark for sustainable tourism and environmental protection, and we are honored to work with the locals to promote waste management, as this aligns with Athena's aim to improve quality of life through maintaining a clean environment," said Athena Chief Marketing Officer Victoria Alcachupas.
Alcachupas noted that marine pollution by solid wastes was a serious threat to coral reefs, and the rate of threatened coral reefs globally would rise to 90 percent by 2030 if no conservation interventions were made to minimize local stressors.
Athena also unveiled artistically designed sea turtle-shaped garbage bins to represent the efforts to conserve the pawikan (turtle), one of the endangered marine animals in La Union.
Designed and made by homegrown artist John Parmisano, the pawikan garbage bins were prominently placed at the beachfront of Urbiz Garden and other high foot traffic points. Each bin came with educational visuals on waste segregation and recycling.
Alcachupas said Athena believed in the "pawi-CAN" philosophy, which sought to foster a culture of teamwork among stakeholders to foster synergy for community development and environmental care.
Alcachupas added that the initiative was aligned with this year's Earth Day global theme of "Planet vs. plastics," which sought to radically reduce the production of plastic materials by up to 60 percent by 2040.
The project would undergo a 5-month monitoring with the collected plastic wastes to be used for another beachfront art installation to help heighten public environmental awareness, particularly on the reduction of plastic use.
San Juan Mayor Arturo Valdriz expressed optimism on the long-lasting impact of the said initiatives, saying: "We hope that with these efforts, locals and beachgoers alike will develop a greater awareness of their solid waste disposal habits, keeping our waters clean."
Recognized as the surfing capital of the north, the municipality hosted hundreds of tourist establishments and thousands of workers, which contributed exponentially to locally generated waste materials.
With a powdery beach and a seabed rich in aquatic life, this surfing spot might soon be a haven for freediving and scuba diving.
2024-06-21T15:25:17Z dg43tfdfdgfd