MIRACLES BY MIRACLES BY THE SHORE THE SHORE

By Abi Co

Reduce,reuse,recycle.The3R'sthatmanyaretaughtfromayoungage.Withsomuchtodoyetsuchlittletime, many tend to forget the simple saying, unaware of its true significance To create a more socially-responsible society,Secondary3and4studentssetoutonajourneyonJune7th2023,touncoverthetrueextentofthese globalissues.

Asdawnbroke,studentsboardedabusboundfortheLasPiñas-ParañaqueCriticalHabitatandEco-Tourism Area. After a quick orientation, the students were grouped, each responsible for different types of trash: PET bottles,single-useplastic,rubber,styrofoam,andglass.Gearedwithtrashbagsandgloves,theyheadedoutto thesite.

“I was surprised by the variety of trash,” Sophia Castro, an S4 student shared, “pillows, a lot of shoes, toys…” She further expounded on her growing concern for these issues, noticing the aquaticcreaturesthathavebeenactivelyconsuming the waste thrown into their homes. “The more polluted our waters get, the more plastic our seafood ingest. Those plastics in the seafood that we eat. And that causes cancer.”

For two hours, the students tirelessly cleaned the coast under the blazing heat. “We have this mentality that there’s someone who’ll deal with our problems, like managing waste,” Renee Lim says, explaining how all thesechallengesarewhatmadetheexperiencesogratifying “But now that you’re the one cleaning, you can’t help but feel annoyed at those who litter.”

Returning from their trip, students pondered on the little things they could do to help the environment

Secondary3studentVivienLi encouraged individuals to “reduce the use of plastic or even reuse it.”. CayenneChong of S3B suggests to simply “reuse the back of scrap papers” asastepevenyoungerstudents cantaketobenefittheenvironment

Thoughtiringandfacedwithamagnitudeofobstacles, many found the day to be fulfilling nonetheless. It opened their eyes to numerous global issues that tend to be downplayed by many, teaching them the importanceofprotectingtheworldwelivein.