ZAMBOANGA PENINSULA – In a powerful demonstration of environmental stewardship, over a thousand individuals gathered across the Zamboanga Peninsula on the morning of June 5 to take part in a simultaneous trail plogging event in celebration of World Environment Day.
The activity, led by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and its line bureaus, mobilized 1,006 participants who collectively collected a staggering 1,997 kilograms of plastic waste from upland, urban, and coastal trails spanning a combined 26.18 kilometers.
Held in ten carefully selected locations, the clean-up trek aligned with this year’s global theme, “Ending Global Plastic Pollution”. Plogging—a combination of jogging and picking up litter—proved to be a fitting activity to raise awareness about the alarming impact of plastic on the environment, while promoting physical activity and community involvement.
Participants, armed with sacks and gloves, fanned out through various barangays: from Pasonanca in Zamboanga City to Miputak in Dipolog City, and from the mountainous trails of Siocon to the coastal barangays of Diplahan and Titay. They were joined by personnel from DENR’s provincial and community environment offices (PENROs and CENROs), along with other local volunteers.
The trail plogging was not only a clean-up drive but also a symbolic act urging the public to reduce plastic use and to embrace more sustainable solid waste management practices. All collected waste was turned over to local government units (LGUs) for proper segregation and disposal, further strengthening the collaboration between environmental agencies and LGUs.
According to the DENR, the activity is part of ongoing efforts to intensify community engagement in environmental protection. The agency hopes to inspire more Filipinos to take part in the global call to action against plastic pollution—a crisis that threatens marine life, ecosystems, and even human health.
As the world continues to battle plastic waste, trail plogging and similar grassroots initiatives in the Zamboanga Peninsula serve as a hopeful reminder that collective action, no matter how small, can make a meaningful difference.