As a promoter of environmental causes, the Philippine
Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) supported a team of scuba divers as
they recently took a break from fun diving to clean the ocean floor in Anilao,
Batangas.
Melanie Felix, Pagcor’s environment and tourism ambassadoress
joined Divenet Philippines in celebrating the International Ocean Clean-up Day,
an event spearheaded annually by scuba divers across the globe. Together with
the divers and the Pagcor team, she helped collect loads of non-biodegradable
waste from the waters and shoreline of Balayan Bay.
"It is unfortunate that a lush environment such as this is
being taken for granted. I hope that more and more people will recognize the
significance of preserving the natural treasures of this planet," Felix, a
Filipino-American national who bagged the first Ms. Pagcor International title
said.
Joy Castillo, president of Divenet Philippines expressed her
gratitude to Pagcor for supporting their groups’s environmental crusade. "As
diving enthusiasts, we are living testimonies of how marverlous the world
underwater is. But these amazing treasures are on the brink of destruction
because of pollution, global warming among the other environmental issues," she
said. She added that with Pagcor’s effort to support their cause, more and more
corporations may also include earth-saving campaigns in their social
responsibility programs.
According to Pagcor chairman Efraim C. Genuino, environmental preservation
should be a commitment of everyone. "We only have one planet. Unfortunately, its
resources and natural beauty are dwindling so fast because of human
irresponsibility. If we will take a stand in environmental preservation, then
the future generation can still experience the beauty of this living planet," he
said.
