Bantay-Dagat Program (Unfinished)
Introduction Our environment is our primary concern today, for the environment that have nurtured us and provided us with everything that we need for sustenance is now in peril. Pollution, destruction of forests, extinction of floral and faunal species, coral bleaching, loss of arable due to erosion – all of these, and more, are the products of man’s destructive activities that continually threaten our fragile environment. Furthermore, the constant ruining of the environment often creates catastrophes that can, and will, endanger our very own lives.
Therefore, we must conserve, protect, and save our environment for environment’s sake, for our children’s sake, and for our sake. In connection, we, the students of the University of the Philippines in the Visayas of the NSTP-CWTS program AY 2012-2013 heed to the call of the world for a new wave of young people who can bring change towards their fellowmen in the context of environmentalism, envisioned to do our part in the fruitful conservation of Mother Nature.
This plan of action of ours is our own way as students to meet local and national conservation efforts towards a more sustainable development of our beloved country. Description The Bantay Dagat Project as proposed by the National Service Training Program (NSTP) officers is a program in which the beautification of native beaches and awakening of the community’s awareness regarding proper waste disposal are accentuated as the principal goals.
Background The beaches of Brgy. Santo Nino Sur are said to be one of the best beaches in the province of Iloilo, visited annually by many local and foreign tourists alike. However, decades of human occupation have tarnished the beauty of the site, and is now littered with a lot of garbage. There are lot of floating debris in the sea, and the coast is strewn with many unwanted materials, suggesting years of uncareful management of the area.
