When
my husband asked us to join “Tracking Trash”, Shell’s initiative in support of the 27th International Coastal
Cleanup last October 6, this Cebuana imagined a white sand beach, maybe rocky,
littered with plastic and the odd debris here and there.
Instead,
I found it dark, pebbled and lined with shanties. The site that Shell chose was near its refinery
in Tabangao, Batangas and home to a small settlement.
 |
| (from left) Shell executives Jay Javier, Conrad Parizal and Cesar Abaricia wait for the Shell contingent at the assembly area. |
I
was amazed at Shell’s preparations. We were given a hearty breakfast
then sent off with bottled water to the assembly area in Barangay Tabangao
Aplaya, where the staff briefed us on how to conduct and document the cleanup.
Each team was given a data sheet, gloves, sack and sharp sticks for trash
pickup.
