Welcome to Project Zacchaeus!
Puerto Princesa coastal clearing yields 845 kilos of waste during 18th 'Save the Bays' mobilization
Project Zacchaeus (PZC) and its Eco Kolek program mobilized certified frontline workers to participate in the city's 18th Save the Bays Clean-Up Drive on May 9.
Mitchell GImena
PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan — Project Zacchaeus (PZC) and its Eco Kolek program mobilized certified frontline workers to participate in the city's 18th Save the Bays Clean-Up Drive on May 9.
The targeted operation resulted in the recovery of 845 kilograms of solid waste from the critical mangrove shorelines of Barangay Sicsican.
The city-wide environmental campaign, conceptualized by Puerto Princesa Mayor Lucilo R. Bayron, focuses on preserving the ecological balance of coastal territories, particularly the communities surrounding Honda Bay. For Eco Kolek, participation in the municipal event functions as a practical enforcement of local solid waste management protocols and a direct intervention against marine plastic pollution.
Operational deployment and occupational safety
The specific deployment for the Sicsican mangrove sector involved an 82-person operational team. This comprised 22 professionalized Eco Warriors, nine PZC and 51 representatives from the Barangay Local Government Unit (BLGU).
A key aspect of the mobilization was the visible professionalization of the informal waste sector. Operating under established occupational safety standards, the deployed Eco Warriors executed the extraction of coastal debris while equipped with standardized uniforms and protective gear. This organized approach allowed the team to efficiently clear nearly a ton of waste within a five-hour operational window.
Integrating grassroots action with local governance
The immediate removal of waste from the mangroves directly mitigates hazards to the coastal biodiversity of Palawan. However, program organizers emphasized that physical clean-ups must be paired with strict source segregation at the household level to prevent future accumulation.
By successfully integrating a formalized waste recovery workforce with local government initiatives, the Eco Kolek program continues to establish a measurable, data-driven defense against environmental degradation. The joint operation provides funders and policymakers with a concrete example of how community-level cooperation can execute municipal environmental mandates.
