MHB

An island found in the province of Aklan, Philippines—famous for its white sand and clear blue water has been a popular tourist destination ever since its beaches have been opened to the public.

But the pristine beach we all know could take a turn for the worst in a few years.

Although its waters are still clear and the sand is still powdery-white, most of the tourists and locals do not seem to be taking the upkeep of the island seriously. Some of the beaches already have moss teeming along the edges of the water—a sign that bacteria thrives along the surrounding area, making the waters an easy target for pollution.

Several stores and restaurants, because of the lack of solid waste management in Aklan (although, in early 2013, the government has started a solid waste management team in some parts of the province), result to throwing their trash in the ocean—and, going back to high school biology, is a terrible thing to do as it would affect the wildlife teeming in the ocean’s waters.

 But of course, like all bad things, this could be stopped.

The whole “Save the environment” theme has been more or less cliché, but it is still a fact that we have to do something about our surroundings or the future generation wouldn’t have much to appreciate later on. Our oceans are our gems—and we must do everything we can to protect it; not only Boracay, but also all the other beaches around the world.

First of all, restaurants and establishments aren’t really bad things—in fact, they help raise the country’s tourism and provide livelihood for the locals. But they must observe proper disposal of their trash instead of throwing them into the ocean. They must remember that the ocean is a healthy place for living creatures—both mankind, animals and plants—to thrive in, and it is not a huge, living waste dump.

Second, everyone who comes in and out of beaches—may they be tourists or locals— must always respect the land they step on by, quoting the Baltimore Grotto (a caving society), “taking nothing but pictures, leaving nothing but footprints and killing nothing but time”.

And last, but not the least—we should all go the extra mile to promote the welfare of our environment. With this, hopefully, the future generation would still have something to be proud of.

(Source: http://qwekqwek.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/DSC03041-600×338.jpg)