Davao City (24 May) -- In the observance of the Month of the Ocean, the Department of Development Studies of the University of Southeastern Philippines - College of Governance, Business and Economics (USEP-CGBE), the World Bank-Knowledge for Development Center (WB-KDC) in cooperation with Barangay Talomo of Davao City, will conduct a coastal cleanup on May 26, Saturday at Talomo Beach, Talomo, Davao City. The month of May is the Month of the Ocean in the Philippines, as declared by Presidential Proclamation No. 57.

The coastal clean-up aims to increase public awareness on the impact of the marine debris crisis on the communities and the environment.

It will also give an opportunity for participants to contribute by removing garbage from the shores, waters, underwaters and waterways.

The organizers will gather information on the collected trash and submit these to The Ocean Conservancy (TOC) in Washington, USA for inclusion in an international study on marine debris.

USEP and the WB-KDC hope that information on the marine debris gathered can be used to inform local communities, school children as well as local government officials in formulating appropriate ordinances for marine environmental protection and conservation. Barangay Talomo has been recognized by the DENR for its efforts to protect the coastal resources.

Participants to the activity include faculty and staff of the USEP-CGBE and the Department of Natural Sciences of USEP-College of Arts and the Department of Natural Science of USEP-College of Arts and Sciences (CAS); staff of the Mindanao eLearning Space; graduate students in Development Administration and in Development Communication Management; Barangay Talomo officials and residents led by Brgy. Capt. Artemio Jimenez, Sr.; representatives from the Mindanao Commission on Women; DILG XI; Tropical Disease Foundation; SEMMACOR; DepEd; ECOGOV and other organizations.