Communities Unite for Cleaner Seas: Puerto Princesa Marks World Ocean Day with Groundbreaking Action
- PZC
- 3 minutes ago
- 1 min read
Puerto Princesa City, June 4, 2025 — A powerful wave of collaboration swept through Puerto Princesa as Project Zacchaeus (PZC) and its Eco Kolek initiative joined forces with key partners to tackle marine plastic pollution—one community at a time. Marking a significant step forward in local marine conservation efforts, the celebration of World Ocean Day was filled with impactful activities, partnerships, and community engagement.
The day began with a strategy session at the City ENRO office, joined by representatives from PEMSEA (Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia), the Korean Embassy, Palawan State University’s Beach Monitoring Team, and other partners. Discussions centered on data-driven approaches to marine plastic reduction and innovative community-based behavior change solutions.
This was followed by a courtesy visit to Mayor Lucilo Bayron, where the Marine Plastic ODA Project was formally presented. The Mayor’s expressed support provided a strong push for grassroots-led, sustainable innovation.
Participants then toured critical waste management sites, including the City’s sanitary landfill, a local junkshop, and the Circular Economy Learning Hub—an upcycled structure built through collaboration with USAID Clean Cities Blue Ocean, City ENRO, and Barangay Sicsican. Here, empowered Eco Warriors showcased how waste can be transformed into opportunity and livelihood.
This celebration underscored a vital message: when local communities, government leaders, and international partners align with a shared vision, lasting change becomes possible.
Together, we're turning the tide for plastic-free oceans.