Planeteers Unite! When HAPI joined Planet Cora
Written by Mutya Valenzuela
February 9, 2020
Las Piñas City, Philippines
January 24th marks the first Planet Cora Coastal Clean up for the year 2020 and as the HAPI Secretariat Head Operations I would not pass up that chance of joining them.
I have always been into helping other people from feeding street children, providing food and clothing to homeless people and conducting clean up in a crowded place like the Memorial Circle in Quezon City.
So when I see an open invite from Planet Cora, I didn’t have any second thoughts. I filled up the form and cleared my schedule to join them in their advocacy. After all, Planet Cora is an environmental arm of the non-profit organization, CORA, are dedicated to protecting #LifeBelowWater and #LifeOnLand, and empowering everyone to take aggressive #ClimateAction for the future of our youth. This includes environmental education plus action, including coastal clean-ups, tree planting activities, water rehabilitation programs, solid waste management, school tours, conventions, events for a cause, and so much more.
When I arrived at the Freedom Island, Las Piñas-Parañaque Critical Habitat Ecotourism (LPPCHEA), I was greeted by the Planet Cora Founder Antoinette Taus. She welcomed and expressed her gratitude for joining and representing Humanist Alliance Philippines International. She is very determined in reaching her organization’s goals and to let other people know that we have to act now to save our one and only planet.
I also have the chance to meet Angela Mead King whom I followed in social media because of her love in cars and dogs. I didn’t know that she’s also a part of Planet Cora and one of the persons who helped to organize the cleanup event she even bought her Victoria Court Team!
Yes, we are going to pick different kinds of garbage that are already buried in the shore of the Freedom Island. But we know that picking them just up and putting them in our sacks is not enough we have to segregate them from straws, Styrofoam, plastic bags, microplastic, cups, toys, slippers, and shoes and with that Toni ( Ms. Antoinette Taus ) formed six groups to help us segregate the garbage this will also help the DENR Department of Environment and Natural Resources in recycling them.
After the opening remarks from Toni and Angie, we started putting our gloves and boots. And just like the barbarians in Spartacus, we picked our fighting weapons, well only for this case it’s our thongs, face mask, and sacks. Once we are ready we headed to the battlefield to face our enemies tons of filthy, smelly, disgusting rubbish. At first, the smell makes me want to throw up but after just five minutes I already got used to it.
Our population right now here in the Philippines is 109, 581, 078 imagine how many plastics we use every single time. Even if we have people like them in Planet Cora that is not enough. Cleanliness should start in our own home, teach our children about garbage segregation and making compost pit, educate them about the importance of not using plastic every single time.
Remember we only have one planet and it is our duty to protect and to take care of it.
