For cleaner and livelier waters – the University of Batangas (UB) Community Extension Services (CES) led the International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) 2025 at Brgy. Sta. Rita Aplaya, Batangas City, covering 0.8 kilometers of shoreline on September 20, 2025.
In partnership with the Rotary Club of Batangas Business Class, UB CES mobilized over 500 volunteers, including students, faculty, staff, and community partners, to take action against climate change. By the end of the cleanup, the team collected 300 kilograms of waste–filling 50 sacks and 32 garbage bags with items such as plastic bottles, food wrappers, plastic bags, styrofoam containers, fishing nets, glass bottles, tin cans, condoms, diapers, and sanitary napkins.
“This activity highlights the University’s commitment to environmental stewardship and the importance of community collaboration in protecting marine ecosystems,” said Mr. John Rey Banlasan, UB External Programs Coordinator.
“Beyond cleanup efforts, the initiative served as a call to action for greater responsibility in waste management and reducing single-use plastics to ensure a cleaner, safer, and more sustainable coastal environment,” he added.
Aligned with the University’s goal to engage in community services through environmental projects and to promote well-being by enhancing human character and dignity, ICC reinforces UB’s active support for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – specifically SDG 13: Climate Action, SDG 14: Life Below Water, and SDG 15: Life on Land.
Through initiatives like ICC, UB continues to nurture a generation of globally responsible citizens who uphold sustainability, community, partnership, and environmental consciousness, further strengthening the university’s role as a catalyst for positive change in South Luzon and beyond.