As part of Provincial Environment Month, which ran throughout June, the Negros Occidental Provincial Environment Management Office, in partnership with the San Carlos City government and its City Environment Management Office, set up dive sites to conduct clean-up activities at the Dapdap area of Sipaway Island, located at Sitio Caimito in the city’s Barangay San Juan.

After nearly two hours, the team of 24 professional divers, recovered items of garbage numbering in the hundreds, including beverage cups, glass bottles, food wrappers, among others.

“There [were] even candy wrappers, chips, and bottles that date back [to] the 80s and 90s,” PEMO, Atty. Wilfred Ramon Peñalosa, pointed out.

He said the results show plastic items are non-biodegradable.

“Just say no to single-use plastic,” the provincial official said./WDJ