I could not believe my eyes when I saw the scenario at a beachfront of an exclusive subdivision in San Juan, Batangas a few weeks ago.
Okay, some explanations first: we had our annual company outing at our boss’ summer house in this town a few weeks ago, for a much-needed rest and break from work.
Since I had been working non-stop for some months now – coupled with all the depressing news that we had encountered in the last few weeks – I had expected this getaway to be a quiet, relaxing one.
Of course, one of the highlights of the trip was the customary outing at a public beach fronting this subdivision, which I had anticipated eagerly.
When we first went there in 2022, I had thought that this was one of the best beaches I had ever seen. The sand was pure, the water crystal-clear, and we even had some fun hunting for jellyfish that thrived in the waters.
Imagine my utter shock four years later when I once again ventured into that beach: The seaside was littered with plastic garbage.
It wasn’t as bad as other beaches I had been to, but the fact that there was plastic waste just strewn around the beach initially made me hesitant to go to the waters.
And yes, when I finally ventured into the sea itself, there was also plastic waste floating around. Not to mention the water was way murkier than it had been when we last visited two years back.
No wonder some visitors of that subdivision had opted to use the private pool fronting that beach, even though today there was apparently a fee imposed on those wishing to use it (something we hadn’t encountered in our prior visits).
Looking back, what made it even more worrisome for me is that the beach was also, apparently, a sanctuary for sea turtles (pawikan) who lay their eggs in the area. And I knew that plastic waste are the bane of sea turtles, who often get caught inside these pieces of plastic and drown as a result.
Which brings to me an important question: who should shoulder the responsibility for keeping our beaches clean – the local government, or the owners and operators of the private beachhouses, resorts and subdivisions that had claimed these beaches as their own?
Imagine! This is the summer season, when people are expected to troop into beaches for a relaxed getaway, and then you’ll find yourself swimming alongside plastic containers and junk?
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