More than 1,000 volunteers from government agencies, schools, civic groups, private companies and community organizations gathered at the Purok Nami-Nami Seawall in Barangay Banago Sept. 19, and collected 3,214.74 kilograms of waste as part of the observance of International Coastal Cleanup Day 2026.
The Bacolod Environment and Natural Resources Office (BENRO) led the city’s observance of the annual coastal cleanup, coordinating activities across coastal communities, including a separate cleanup in Barangay Punta Taytay.
At the Banago site, SM City Bacolod served as a lead coordinating partner, working with BENRO and Barangay Banago and mobilizing more than 20 organizations and groups for the early-morning cleanup, its press release said.
The Banago initiative was one of several coastal cleanup efforts conducted across Bacolod for the annual observance, with other groups also organizing activities at different coastal locations in the city.
At Purok Nami-Nami, SM City Bacolod, through its SM Cares team, helped bring together a broad cross-section of the community, inviting and coordinating participating organizations alongside BENRO and Barangay Banago.
Volunteers included the Philippine Coast Guard, the barangay’s community and fisherfolk associations, SM security force, National University Bacolod, SM Supermarket, SM Hypermarket, Savemore Bacolod, John B. Lacson Colleges Foundation, Red Cross Youth, Mr. and Miss Teen MassKara, the offices of councilors Wilson Gamboa Jr. and Homer Bais, the Office of the Vice President, Kiwanis Club of Metro Bacolod, Bacolod Sampaguita Lions Club, the Bureau of Fire Protection-Bacolod, BFP-Negros Island Region, Bacolod City Police Office, Petron Philippines, Bacolod Traffic and Transport Management Department, and the Bacolod City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, among others.
“More than the number, today’s activity reminds us that when we work together, our collective efforts can create a meaningful impact for our coastal communities and our environment,” Atty. Allyn Luv Dignadice, officer-in-charge of BENRO, said during the cleanup.
The collaboration reflects the city’s continuing efforts to engage government, communities and private-sector partners in protecting Bacolod’s coastal areas. At the Banago site, SM City Bacolod’s mobilization of partner-organizations helped translate the citywide environmental effort into a strong community turnout.
For SM City Bacolod mall manager Mary Jane Losaria, the participation demonstrated the spirit of bayanihan behind the annual cleanup.
“The spirit of bayanihan becomes meaningful when people from different communities and organizations come together for one purpose. Every person who said yes today helps bring us closer to cleaner coasts and the waste-free future we hope to build for generations to come,” Losaria said.
The Banago activity also formed part of SM Cares’ 2026 International Coastal Cleanup campaign, themed “Bayanihan Para sa Karagatan — Together for Our Oceans”, with 32 SM malls participating in cleanup activities nationwide. SM Cares has supported the International Coastal Cleanup since 2015.
The Banago cleanup demonstrated the scale of community action possible when the city government, barangay, private sector, and volunteer organizations work together, with BENRO providing environmental leadership, and SM City Bacolod helping mobilize partners and participants for the shared effort to protect Bacolod’s coastal communities. ||
