By BEVERLY C. PAOYON
GUMASA, Sarangani (May 19, 2014) – After a madding crowd of some 100,000 ruled #sarbayfest2014 over the weekend, Gumasa is now reclaiming its usual serenity of a perfect hideaway.
Except for a little more housekeeping.
With the throng of people that almost doubled last year’s 70,000 record, litter would also likely multiply.
Now, #sarbayfest2014-goers are pegged at 120,000. This is based on the barangay’s partial head count according to Sherwin Hermoso, an official overseeing car parking.
According to Hermoso, some 1,150 vehicles and around 1,800 motorcycles were recorded in two days (May 16-17). This figure excluded cars parked outside the designated parking areas and in adjacent resorts which were also fully occupied.
Cars double parked at the highway as far as two to three kilometers away leading to #sarbayfest2014 main venue. Hermoso said the highway parking was not included in their monitoring list.
The increase is far more than the 10 to 15 percent increase targeted this year. Sarangani Tourism and Investment Promotions Center (STIPC) accredited this to effective social marketing campaign and word of mouth.
Right now, the local government unit (LGU) and residents of barangay Gumasa are mobilized to do the #ilovecleansarbay beach clean-up. Garbage collectors of the LGU estimated heaps of plastics, bottles, styrofoam, paper and other food wastes to be more than a ton which they target to complete collecting today.
Regional and provincial tourism council president Michelle Solon announced right after the beach festival that they are “still in #Sarbayfest cleaning mode.”
“We are not done yet. We never leave Gumasa unfinished. We love Sarangani Bay and we are committed to cleaning it. I would like to personally thank every Sarbayfest citizen who did their part...Who used our trash bins, who picked up garbage with us. We have high respect for you! We are taking notes on how to be better next year. And yep, toilets and portalets are on top of our checklist! Thank you for your support and love for Sarbay. Its going viral!!!,” Solon posted in her facebook account.
Every after SarBay, the provincial government does beach clean-up in coordination with Glan municipal environment and natural resources office and barangay Gumasa, but this is aside from the daily cleaners during the event, April Marie Rudes of STIPC said.
The main venue measures approximately six hectares that catered to around 300 tents, the concert area and a variety of food and novelty shops.
Rudes said organizers have “doubled preparation every year especially when it comes to garbage and portalets but the crowd gets bigger and bigger so there’s more to improve.”
To prepare for next year, she said “we will start calling our sponsors/partners for the fabrication of new and bigger trash bins and other garbage strategies to lessen the trash issues.”
“We also request our audience to be responsible with their waste as this is not just the work of the organizers but everybody,” she added.
While everybody else are cleaning, 7 year old Ivan Ganao among other group of children took the advantage of picking up empty plastic containers of softdrinks and mineral water.
Since Sunday (May 18) he already collected around 16 sacks of plastics. He said the amount he would be generating from his P7 a kilo hoard will be used to buy his school supplies for the opening of classes.
Brigida Smaso, 68, said #sarbayfest2014 is the biggest ever since. Aside from enjoying she also gets additional income by cleaning the venue. In regular days, she joins a group of female friends fishing (manginhas). She also dives to get sea urchins which are very salable with beachgoers.
The bay, she said, is a haven of healthy marine life from fish to corals and even clams which she enjoys every time she dives. (Beverly C. Paoyon/SARANGANI INFORMATION OFFICE)
No comments:
Post a Comment