From Luzon to Visayas to Mindanao, Mother Nature called volunteers to the shore. Many answered.

Last Saturday, SM Supermalls president Steven Tan led volunteers from different sectors in the company's annual coastal cleanup, part of the SM Cares advocacy for the environment, in a nationwide effort to protect the country's coastlines through the simple act of picking up trash.

Tan, who has led the initiative for more than a decade, once again rolled up his sleeves to clean the country's shores, and reflected on how the cleanup drive has grown stronger.

“More than 10 years later, I am filled with gratitude because we are living proof that the spirit of bayanihan is not only alive, but strong. We may come from different companies, schools, communities, organizations and walks of life, but purpose is what unites us all,” Tan said.

“Advocates like us have gathered to turn simple acts of environmental care into impactful community action,” he added.

Protecting the country's shores is a government mandate, and national and local officials joined Tan and the volunteers in the cleanup.

Assistant Secretary Noralene M. Uy of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources said, “Every coastal cleanup reminds us of a hard truth. The waste we collect is waste that's already escaped our homes, our communities, and our waste management systems.”

“Our goal must go beyond cleaning. We must prevent waste, recover resources, and build a culture where responsible waste management becomes part of everyday life,” she said.

“Together, let us build a future where clean rivers and clean seas are no longer aspirations but realities,” Uy added.

Department of Interior and Local Government-National Capital Region director Maria Lourdes L. Agustin echoed Uy’s call.

“Protecting our coastal and marine resources cannot be achieved by the government alone,” she said. “The protection of our seas and waterways is a shared responsibility.”

Agustin added, “We must also work together to prevent pollution at its source, promote responsible waste management and encourage our communities to adopt sustainable practices.”

For an archipelago of more than 7,000 islands, the ocean gives us food, livelihoods, recreation and life itself, yet it is often the final destination of the waste we fail to manage. That is why the call to protect our shores cannot only be heard once a year.

The challenge continues after the gloves come off and the trash bags are carried away. It is in the choices we make at home. In the waste we choose to reduce. In the things we reuse instead of throwing away. In the way we dispose of what we no longer need. And in how we teach the next generation to see the environment not as something separate from us, but as something we are all responsible for.

Keeping coastal cleanups strong requires consistency, from one coastline to the next.

“We have gotten closer and closer to our shared vision of a waste-free future. May our efforts flow far beyond this coast and reach the future we hope to share for generations to come,” Tan said.

Last Saturday, thousands answered Mother Nature's call. Hopefully, we will all continue answering after the cleanup is over.