International Coastal Cleanup with Coca-Cola Foundation

Last Saturday, I got invited to go to Samal, Bataan for the International Coastal Cleanup with Coca-Cola Foundation.  Although my schedule was quite hectic, it was difficult to refuse this admirable cause.  The meeting time was 5:30 a.m. at King's Court.  I arrived there exactly on time.  We were then given our official T-shirt and our breakfast Mc Chicken Fillet.  We waited until 6:30 for our other blogger companions to arrive and then headed off to Bataan.

Coca-Cola Group Pic with Mayor of Samal Bataan

At around 9:00 a.m., we arrived the Samal Municipal Hall.  It was raining but we didn't mind.  We were led to walk at their boat yard.  We were to cross the three boats to go to the other side.  Upon reaching the other side, we had to walk for around 30 minutes in the muddy trails until we reached the beach side with tall Mangrove trees. 

Crossing three boats to the other side

short trek

Muddy Trails and my feet

My gloves

Upon reaching the site, everyone started to do their clean up.  I brought out my gloves and shared the other to a fellow blogger who didn't have any.  We were given sacks to be filled up.   There was a lot of trash that picking them up one by one seemed endless.  Its a good thing that it was a concerted effort because it was really tiring to bend and pick up the trashes especially those stuck between the Mangrove tree roots.  I did my best and picked out as much as I could until I could already feel my heart beating.  Soon, the sacks I filled were carried by the guys towards the boat pick up point.  It was carried by the boat to the dump truck parked by the boat yard.

everyone picking up

me picking up

guys dragging the heavy sacks of trash

We were supposed to plant mangrove trees too but the shore was higher because of the rain.  But it's not as high as it is when the tide is high.  Kuya Erson taught us that the highest root of the Mangrove tree is the indication of the highest point of the water.  Based on our observation, the highest root was way taller than us. 

I forgot what this is called but its my first time to see this!

Dead Bangus

Boarding a boat

View from our boat ride

Dump track by the boat yard awaiting our sacks of trash

After the clean up, we walked back to the previous trail.  We noticed that the fish ponds there had dead Bangus fishes, according to Kuya Erson, they were poisoned so that new batch of fishes will soon be replacing the old ones.  We then rode the small boats back to the other side so it would be faster because the water was rising.  

Bataan Local Delicacies

Claiming our Lunch Food Stubs

When we arrived at the Samal Municipal Hall, we all ate our lunch.  We were so tired so it was the best time to eat!  We bought some local delicacies and headed over to our bus.  We filled out the Coca-Cola International Coastal Cleanup Data Sheet and left for Manila.  It was tiring but it was a lot of fun!  Thank you Coca-Cola Foundation for having us.

Blogger group with Kuya Erson of Coca-Cola