Coastal Cleanup gathers 115,200 kilos of trash from Manila Bay

MANILA, Philippines — Thousands of people from different walks of life joined the International Coastal Cleanup Day along SM By The Bay last Sunday. 

Watsons demonstrated its commitment to environmental sustainability through the global initiative that aims to combat marine pollution and protect oceans.

This event’s objective was to raise awareness among the public about the threats that have been endangering Philippine waters and about the little changes and adjustments that we can do in our daily habits to help in the global fight against plastic pollution in our waters.

Around the same time last year, Watsons partnered with leading mall operator SM for the International Coastal Cleanup Day 2023, which resulted in collecting 100,000 kilos of trash by over 17,000 volunteers from private and public sectors.

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This year, a total of 110 Watsons employees joined the initiative along with thousands of other volunteers from various organizations, and communities from both the public and private sectors. Together, they worked tirelessly to collect a total of 115,200 kilograms of trash and debris from the coastal area, contributing to local marine ecosystem’s overall cleanliness and health.

“This is also one of our goals for this project, to inspire the spirit of volunteerism (with) Watsons employees serving as an example. Any undertaking this big requires the cooperation of many. And that’s what we hope to achieve with this project, to get people to believe in our cause of advocating toward a sustainable future and be inspired to take action,” said Sharon Decapia, SAVP for Marketing, PR and Sustainability of Watsons Philippines.

By actively participating in the event, the brand nails its commitment toward sustainability under the "Planet" pillar, which is geared toward reducing environmental impact across the value chain. This initiative aligns with the company’s broader efforts to promote sustainable practices and encourage its customers to adopt environmentally-conscious habits.

“As the leading health, beauty, and wellness retailer in the country, we recognize our responsibility in educating the public about the big