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  • II. Community Service Plan Discussions

    About the Locality

    General Santos City, located in the 12th region in South Cotabato, or popularly known as the Tuna Capital of the Philippines, is currently identified as a growing city in terms of population and economic development. With a growth rate of 2.01% a year, the General Santos City population as of 2021 is approximately 669, 924 residents. However, taking into account the downside of this growth, pollution and garbage generation also become rampant more than ever and need to be controlled in order to protect our health, the environment, and marine life. One means to address this problem is by conducting a coastal clean-up drive as a community service plan in the city.
    One of the coastal areas that need to be addressed in the city is the Queen Tuna Park, formerly known as Lion’s beach. It is a public beach with no entrance fee, thus, mostly enjoyed by local residents during breaks and weekends but this may also have become a beneficial factor to its current state. It has presently become one of the least maintained parks in the locality and had the worst review from both citizens and tourists due to its filth and full of garbage in the

    field that led to contaminants such as fecal coliform for several years yet there are still no actions that were taken to successfully alleviate this issue.

    Figure 1 and 2: Queen Tuna Park, General Santos City

    Conceptualization of the Plan

    The community service plan initiative, namely, “Paglikom: Kalinga sa Aplaya”, a voluntary coastal clean-up drive is being proposed in order to improve the welfare of this natural resource that shall be approved by the local government unit. The main goal of this initiative is the mass collection of wastes in the seashore in order to eliminate the waste and the toxic chemicals it brings harm to marine life and to its tourists and recycles most of the waste such as plastics and metals for a better purpose by selling it to the junk shops. This is also a stepping stone in providing awareness regarding the rising rate of land and water pollution and the problem of management disposal in the city, orienting and encouraging the citizens to practice proper waste management and environmental care.
    This plan shall be composed of volunteers from ages 18 to 50 years old together with appointed heads by the local government unit. Donations and sponsorships will also be generously accepted to provide quality equipment, conduct seminars, and meetings whilst following the protocols for COVID-19, and cover the cost for transportation services and sustenance, together with the
    accumulated funds by the retail of recyclable plastics and metals and aid by

    the local government. This project is relevant during summer breaks and vacations so that students may participate without the hindrance of their tight schedules, as well as professionals.



    Project Timeline

    Before the implementation

    - Submit the “Paglikom: Kalinga sa Aplaya” Community Service Plan Proposal to the Local Government Unit and wait for the approval.
    - Once the approval has been received, coordinate with the appointed personnel appointed by the General Santos City LGU for the said project and formulate a team composed of the project head, as well as its corresponding committees in program, finance and sponsorship, advertising and communications,
    - The committees, spearheaded by the project head and program committee shall have a meeting for raising concerns, assign tasks and responsibilities, and plan on the timeline of events for the said program.

    - Communications and Advertising committee shall make use of social media platforms to inform citizens about the said service plan with objectives such as: providing environmental awareness and looking for volunteers of 18 to 50 years of age, as well as in assistance for the Sponsorship committee by looking for potential sponsors and donations ideally a month before the implementation of the project.
    - Finance and sponsorship committee shall work hand-in-hand with the accumulation of funds through sponsors, donations, aid by the LGU, and funds to be acquired through the collection of recyclable materials.
    - Once the registration form for volunteers has been filled, with a minimum number 30 participants, another meeting shall be held for the conduct of seminar on environmental awareness, emphasizing the The Republic Act 9003, also known as the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, as well as giving instructions and precautionary measures for the volunteers and members of the committees.
    - Finance committee shall procure the necessary materials for the event such as garbage bags, gloves, face masks and shields, and other necessary tools.

    - A week before the implementation, consultations and final preparations shall be administered. Communications and Advertising Committees shall amplify the initiative in the social media platforms, as well as acknowledge the sponsors of the said project. As well as communicating with the beneficiaries for updates and development of the project.
    During the Implementation

    - On the agreed date and time of the project, members of the committees and volunteers in the initiative program “Paglikom: Kalinga sa Aplaya” shall meet in the Queen Tuna Park.
    - Program Head shall ensure that the standard protocol for COVID-19 and safety equipment is being worn and exercised, as well the attendance of the people are complete.
    - Advertising committee shall make a documentary all throughout the event.
    - Sustenance will also be given to the members and volunteers during the event.
    - The implementation shall start and will last until 5:00 PM.

    After the Implementation

    - After the implementation, participants of the initiative program, “Paglikom: Kalinga sa Aplaya” shall receive a certificate of appreciation as an acknowledgment for their volunteer services.
    - Documentaries shall be posted in the social media accounts of the project, along with the acknowledgment for all the participants, committees, sponsorship and partners, and the local government unit in making the project successful.
    - Election for a new set of officers for the next date of the project shall take place, participated by the committee members and participants of the event.
    - Communications Committee shall make a survey in order to gain ideas on how to strengthen the project and provide ways to improve its implementation.

    III. Conclusion



    The project, “Paglikom: Kalinga sa Aplaya”, emphasizes the word “paglikom”, meaning to collect, as collecting the garbage and waste on the shores of the Queen Tuna Park in General Santos City is important, especially to the beneficiaries in the local community. Before the public beach was degraded, it was initially the number one spot for Generals (citizens of General Santos City) to unwind together with family and friends and this project is designed to restore its value. This also contributes to the improvement of marine life in the beach park and the creatures living there. This can spread awareness of how we should take care of our environment so that we will not make the same mistakes twice that led to the degradation of our natural resources.


    Through this project, residents can recognize the importance of Bayanihan in order to achieve a large goal which is not only attainable by physically doing the voluntary work in the clean-up drive, as there are some people who cannot do so, but also in simple ways such as proper waste disposal and segregation, apply the 3 R’S (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle), spreading awareness, and by being

    educated in the most basic principles of being a productive and responsible Filipino citizen- which is to be a steward of the environment.
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