1. Background The Philippine archipelago is known to have one of the most diverse environments, bot h in terms of resources and culture.

2. Ironically, it hasone of thepooresteconomies inthe world andis on its way tomajorecologicaldisasters. 3. Industrial pollution worsened eight-fold in the period of 1975 to 1988 while its economy grew very little. Aside from rapid forest destruction, worsening air pollution, inefficient and irresponsible solid waste management, the countrys coastal plains have been constantly subjected to the ill after-effects of industries. 4. Solid waste disposal in urbancenters reach dangerous levelswhere as much as 2.7 thousandtons of garbage are produced byMetro Manila alone. Opendumps and waterways serve asdisposal grounds where theypose danger to the nearbyresidents 5. Marine Debris Pervasive debris kills wildlife& destroys habitats, too.Birds, fish, and marinemammals often mistakeplastic and other debris forfood. Sea turtles mistakeplastic bags for jellyfish, oneof their favorite foods. Graywhales have been founddead with plastic bags andsheeting in their stomachs. 6. Marine Debris: A danger to Wildlife 7. Plastic debris also acts as a sponge for toxic, hormone-disrupting chemicals (like PCBs and DDT) that reside in seawater, and thechemical components of plasticsthemselves may also be a potentialsource of other toxins that findtheir way into the food chain. 8. Found in even the most remote ocean places, debris can remain for generations. 9. The good news is marine debris is preventable. As thisobvious crisis of pollution in the Philippines, it is onlycrucial that those affected engage in this concern to leadthe pack in creating a better environment for present andfuture generations. 10. Hands On Manila, EarthIsland Institute Philippinesand Save Freedom IslandMovement will bespearheading a coastalclean-up and mangroveplanting of a part of ManilaBay, particularly at the LasPinas-Paranaque CriticalHabitat and Eco-tourismArea (LPPCHEA) orcommonly known asFreedom Island and LongIsland. 11. Freedom Island Its the last remaining wetlands of mangroves and salt marshes inMetro Manila that serves as a bird sanctuary for more than 80bird species and commercially valuable marine creatures. Saidbird and marine sanctuary was declared as a critical habitat in2007 by Proclamation No: 1412. But, ironically, it is presentlybombarded with threats of relentless garbage disposal and theimpending reclamation project of the Philippine ReclamationAuthority (PRA). 12. The 175 hectare island also serves as a natural borderFreedom Island defends the coast from strong winds and waves and its lagoon performs as an outlet for major waterways of nearby cities. The mangrove and saltmarshes ecosystemfunctions as a buffer thatprotects sea grasses,seaweeds and coral reefsfrom heavysedimentation and servesas a habitat for a wide-range of aquatic andmarine species that alsoprovides feeding areas forcommercially importantfishes and mollusks.Large number of localfisherfolk families andcoastal dwellers dependon it for their livelihoodand security. 13. However, the bay has suffered from seriouswater quality deterioration due to thedumping of sewage, garbage, industrialpollutants and land reclamation. 14. The problem exacerbateswith the decline of themangrove population from54,000 hectares during thelatter part of the 19th centuryto only about 794 hectares atpresent primarily due to landconversion / reclamationprojects and toxiccontamination. Mangroveloss means disruption or lossof food and habitat ofmarine species. And the last-remaining mangrove forestin Freedom Island alsomeans the last of our hopefor the living things thatdepends on it. 15. Objectives 16. Objectives This will also serve as anopportunity to inform thegeneral public of theimportance to maintainthe cleanliness of our riversand the continuedprotection of our waterresources which is thelifeblood of our societies.Such activities are alsoundertaken to advocate forthe government toseriously address theprotection of our oceansand rivers not only inMetro Manila but for theentire nation. 17. GENERAL RULES/ GUIDELINES WHEN IN ANECOLOGICALLY SENSITIVE AREA: Follow the command of your marshal / group coordinator. Dont roam around in the area alone. Be aware of the safety measures. 18. GENERAL RULES/ GUIDELINES WHEN IN ANECOLOGICALLY SENSITIVE AREA: Do not disturb wildlife. Do not run after them nor try to catch them. Also avoid making loud noises.Dont feed wild animals 19. GENERAL RULES/ GUIDELINES WHEN IN ANECOLOGICALLY SENSITIVE AREA: -In the case of dead or injured animals, avolunteer should NEVER try to pick-up,attempt to treat, or move the injured ordead animal. If the animal is alreadydead, just leave it there. If the animal isinjured/sick and needs veterinaryattention, report it immediately to theover-all commander (this must bereported to the DENR). - Do not pick flowers and plants. Leaveeverything that belongs to nature. Donot take home shells and sands. 20. GENERAL RULES/ GUIDELINES WHEN IN ANECOLOGICALLY SENSITIVE AREA: Be cautious andaware ofsensitivehabitat areas(i.e. sanddunes).Precautionsshouldtherefore beinstituted forsuch areas. 21. GENERAL RULES/ GUIDELINES WHEN IN ANECOLOGICALLY SENSITIVE AREA: When inside a forest, stickto the trail and do not entergrass fields or trample onwild flowers. Dont use newtrail markers, signs or othergraffiti to mark the way. Take home all of your wasteproducts including left-overfood and cigarette butts (ifpossible, do not smoke!). 22. GENERAL RULES/ GUIDELINES WHEN IN ANECOLOGICALLY SENSITIVE AREA: - It is strongly prohibitedto build fires. - In the unlikely event of aserious accidentoccurring, informauthorized personsimmediately. 23. Take nothing but pictures & trash. Kill nothing but time. Leave nothing but footprints. 24. 1st STEP: REGISTRATION BOOTH Make the volunteers sign up first at the registration booth. If theres a need for waivers, make sure all volunteers readand sign the liability waiver form. LEGIBLE names andaddresses are critical, so please stress this to yourvolunteers. Collect waivers in the registration booth and distributesupplies. Assign people in groups. (About 10 people per group)Make sure volunteers in the group know their leaders. Distribution of supplies. To be given to each group are thefollowing: 25. Distribution of supplies. To be given to eachgroup are the following: Sacks(for plastics, for styro & otherfoams, for foot wear, for bottles, other trash) Thongs Rake Pitch forks Shovel Gloves Catalogue Data/ Data cards& pencils for thedocumenter. 26. Distribution of supplies. To be given to eachgroup are the following: Trees Rake Shovel Gloves Data cards & pencils for thedocumenter. 27. Distribution of supplies. To be given to eachgroup are the following: Mangrove propagules Sticks Data Cards & pencilsfor the documenter 28. Before each group starts. Orient thembriefly on the location, objectives and of thethings that needed to be done. Location / Mapping Group assignments Discuss the importance of working in teams to facilitate the process ofboth collecting trash or planting trees and the information for the datacards. For Coastal Clean-up, group of 10 consists of:The team leader Documenter 2 holding the sack for plastic wastes 2 holding the sack for Styrofoam & other foams 2 holding the sack for footwear & rubber 2 holding the sack for other trash (metals, bottles, ceramics, cans, etc.) 29. For Tree planting, one group consists of:The Team Leader5 volunteers to dig holes and plant trees3 volunteers to pick up trash along the trail1 documenter For Mangrove propagule planting, one group consists of:The Team Leader1 documenter5 volunteers to plant propagules3 volunteers to pick up trash in the site vicinity 30. Emphasize on safety as a priority. If youhave prior contact withvolunteers, advise them to wear sunblock, appropriate sturdy shoes, longsleeves, hats, sunglasses, towel, bugrepellant, hand sanitizer or alcohol, andto bring their own water/beverage bottleand other personal needs. During theorientation and safety precautiontalk, tell your group to always keep an eyeon the sea or waterway, avoid over-exertion, and stay in teams. Childrenmust be supervised by adults at all times. 31. Remind volunteers that as much as possible, additional trash generated by us should be prevented. Avoid disposable food and water containers, spoons & forks, and other snacks with such wasteful packaging (especially cigarette butts). Please try our best not to add trash in the area. Or if this cannot be avoided, please ensure to bring your trash when you leave. 32. 2nd STEP FOR COASTAL CLEAN-UP GROUPS:CLEANING UP THE ASSIGNED AREA: Wear gloves on bothhands when yourepicking up trash withand closed toe shoes atall times, and haveclothing and sun-block to protect youfrom the sun. 33. 2nd STEP FOR COASTAL CLEAN-UP GROUPS:CLEANING UP THE ASSIGNED AREA: - Instruct the group to pick up non-biodegradable or human- created objects only (styro, plastics, footwear & rubber, etc. -- should be segregated accordingly) -All biodegradable objects or natural debris such as wood, driftwood, leaves, weeds, kelp, algae, etc. should be left on the beach. -Shake-off the sand before putting the trash in the garbage bag. (Sands & stones are important in the marine ecosystem, too.) -Dont pull the weeds. They are part of the ecosystem, not trash. 34. 2nd STEP FOR COASTAL CLEAN-UP GROUPS:CLEANING UP THE ASSIGNED AREA: Much of the trash you will find is small, so keep your eyesout for smaller pieces of trash. The smaller pieces can bemistaken for food by marine animals. - Dont pick up sharp objects (broken glass, fluorescentbulbs, discarded knife, needles, etc) andhospital/infectious wastes (such as syringes, sanitarynapkin, diapers) by your hands (even if you are wearinggloves). Use thongs, instead, for those. -Follow the command of your marshal / groupcoordinator. Dont roam around in the area alone. - No one should ever go in the water (unless you areassigned to) -Marshalls must report to the over-all commander if thereare injuries among the team. 35. 2nd STEP FOR COASTAL CLEAN-UP GROUPS:CLEANING UP THE ASSIGNED AREA: Be cautious and aware ofsensitive habitat areas (i.e.sand dunes). Ecologicallysensitive areas cant alwaystake the stress of humanactivity. The smallorganisms that inhabit asand dune (hill of sand)and its vegetation areeasily killed by footstepsalone. Precautions shouldtherefore be instituted forsuch areas. 36. 2nd STEP FOR COASTAL CLEAN-UP GROUPS:CLEANING UP THE ASSIGNED AREA: - Avoid over-exertion, sunburn, heatexhaustion, and dehydration. - Dont lift anything too heavy;when in doubt, dont try! 37. 2nd STEP FOR COASTAL CLEAN-UP GROUPS:CLEANING UP THE ASSIGNED AREA: - When documenting the kindof trash found in the shorewhile cleaning up, count itemsin groups (sticks) of five toavoid confusion, and recordthe total in the box. Do notwrite the words lots ormany. Count every piece andbe specific. Only actualnumbers of items can be used.If you get tired of counting,even an estimate with a realnumber is better than nothing. 38. 3rd STEP FOR COASTAL CLEAN-UP GROUPS:DOCUMENTATION AND DISPOSAL: -If sacks are full, bring it tothe weighing area. Do datacollection. Concentrate yourefforts on collecting trash andrecyclables first. Bring thecollected trash to the meetinglocation and catalogue datafor data cards. -Document unusualfinds, too. Those were trashnot categorized asplastic, styrofoam, foam, metal, glass or rubber. It couldalso be unusual in size. Theitem should be photographedif possible. 39. -After documenting the trash, bring it to the garbage truck. - Documenter should tabulate the amount of trash and recyclables collected,list the most unusual items, and report it. The information neededimmediately are the following: The number of participants at your site The weight of trash and recyclables The number of miles cleaned (estimated). The most unusual items found - Data cards and any unusual items they found shall be collected by the eventorganizers or the over-all commander.- After the clean-up, wash your hands thoroughly at the designated washingarea, freshen up, relax, and enjoy the view. 40. STEP 2 FOR MANGROVE PLANTING: Proceed to the site in group. It is best to wear long sleeves as you willpass by a forest to get to the site. It is usually near the sea or tidalriver/creek and slightly shaded from the sun, so you may need to wearboots for this. Push the pointed stick downwards the soft soil to make a hole/ Plant undamaged, mature propagules or seeds in the hole, then pressthe soil around it with your feet to let the propagule stand firmly. For protection from waves, you may fence off the area (with bamboosticks) Planting distance - 2m x 2m (need 2500 seedlings/ha) Record the number of propagules planted and the estimated squarearea. Take pictures. 41. STEP 2 FOR TREE PLANTING: Proceed to the site in group. Remember the GENERAL GUIDELINES and SafetyMeasures. Your event organizers selected a site and particular species of trees for the site based onecological needs of the tree such as shade, moisture, and soil preferences. Provide good pre-planting care. Keep trees shaded, cool, and moist before planting. Begentle when handling the root ball. Remove all labels, wires, etc. from the trees stem. Dig a shallow hole, as wide as possible. The hole should be at least 3X the root balldiameter, bowl-shaped, and as deep as the root ball is high or 1-2" shallower. The root ballshould be placed on undisturbed soil, with the root collar at or just above the level of thesurrounding soil. Remove plastics, burlap, pots, wire baskets, etc. from the root ball. Removing thesematerials with the root ball in the hole minimizes root system disturbance. Backfill with native soil and water the entire root zone Document the trees planted by recording the species, numbers and the total areaplanted. Take pictures.