Year 2-0-1-7. A new year! Personally, my 2016 was okay. There were ups and downs. Me and Nikko had our own disagreements, we made up, we laughed at our own jokes (not really sure if we’re funny though!) and we traveled a lot, as a couple. Thus was born, #onesongchallenge. We might be overdoing it, we’re always introducing ourselves and we shamelessly tell our friends to like our page and share…

All of our feelings for the National Clean Up Day..

The big day has come! September 17, 2016 – International Clean Up Day!!! Yep! We were soooo excited for this! But sad news… (more…)

Starting a Sea of Change

It’s been a few months since we’ve started with the #OneSongChallenge. We’ve been able to share it with friends, discuss on how we can extend our initiative, and discover different mediums on how to do it. Personally, it’s a battle between my natural introversion and the drive to reach out and share to people our love for the ocean! (Haha!) So in the middle of this struggle, one fine afternoon, I…

5 Reasons why you should join the International Coastal Clean Up Day

The International Coastal Clean Up Day is on September 17, 2016. And we are pretty stoked about it! International Coastal Clean Up is celebrated every third Saturday of the month of September annually and is the largest volunteer effort for Ocean Conservation. Here are 5 reasons why you should join the International Coastal Clean Up Day: You get to travel. Yes! ICC day is happening in lots of…

The International Coastal Clean Up Day is on September 17, 2016. And we are pretty stoked about it!

International Coastal Clean Up is celebrated every third Saturday of the month of September and is the largest volunteer effort for Ocean Conservation.

Here are 5 reasons why you should join the International Coastal Clean Up Day:

1.     You get to travel. 

Yes! ICC day is happening in lots of different towns. There's one hosted by ICC Philippines in Subic, there's one by Let's Do It Philippines in Cebu, there's also one in Negros and a few more clean up sites. You just got to see pick one and go. And in case you've already scheduled a trip but didn't find a cleanup site nearest your destination, all you have to do is contact DENR or start one yourself.

So, if you are in serious need of a vacation or just a weekend getaway, then this might just give you another reason to pack your stuff and leave Manila for a while.

2.     You get to meet new friends. 

Last month we joined the LNT workshop in Subic and we met a lot of new people. We got the chance to chat with the organizers, Zed Avecilla and his team, and Mr. LNT, Lito De Veterbo. During that workshop, we realized that there are a lot people out there who have the same passion as you have, the same vision you have and the same goals that you have. We also had a good time with the Rotaractors who joined the workshop. So meeting this group was pretty special to us as we know now that someone out there share the same advocacy as we do. Same as any passion. You just need to get out and meet people.

This might even be your chance to meet "The One"! Or not, up to you! *wink*

3. It's free!

Oh yes. One word, four letters. Other than "food", the magic word is "free"!

Yes! There's no joining fee. You can walk in and register on the clean-up site on the day itself! Need I say more, when we tell you it’s FREE?

Just bring yourself! It'll be worth it.

4. You get to join a global movement.

As this is hosted by ICC, there will also be clean-up sites wherever ICC is. Just check out the clean-up locations worldwide at Ocean Conservancy.  

This isn't just a local event, it's a global movement. Last year, Philippines ranked 1st in the ICC tally by having the most number of volunteers in over 93 participating countries.

5. You get to help Mother Earth!

When was the last time you did something for Mother Earth?

We are temporary in this world, we’ll have children and hopefully they get to experience the world the way we did, or better.  This is your chance to do something about it. By actively participating in this movement, you get to be one of the millions of people creating a “sea of change”.  

By travelling and by meeting friends, when do you get the chance to affect change?   THIS IS IT!

So join us on September 17, 2016 (Saturday) in the International Coastal Clean-Up Day at Lighthouse Marina Resort, Subic, Zambales

You can also join other clean-up locations near you! Check out this map.

Cheers, 

It’s been a few months since we’ve started with the #OneSongChallenge. We’ve been able to share it with friends, discuss on how we can extend our initiative, and discover different mediums on how to do it.

Personally, it’s a battle between my natural introversion and the drive to reach out and share to people our love for the ocean! (Haha!)

So in the middle of this struggle, one fine afternoon, I googled “beach cleanup” - Lo and Behold! The first search result was “International Coastal Cleanup Philippines”.

I can’t even begin to describe how I felt about this discovery.

Overjoyed. Overwhelmed. Surprised. Excited.

Not only was it within reach (since they’re based in Subic, Zambales), it was also a very active organization with its projects!

I quickly browsed over the website and here are the facts about ICC:

The International Coastal Cleanup is the largest volunteer movement that focuses on ocean conservation through cleanups. It was founded by Ocean Conservancy in Washington, DC in 1986 by helping create ocean policy at the federal and state government levels based on peer reviewed science.

In the Philippines, International Marinelife Alliance (IMA) headed the official joining ICC in 1994. Fast forward to 2006, ICC Philippines was born and assumed coordination of the movement nationwide; This was done with the supervision of then Vice President of IMA, Commodore Gerry Reyes who was also then a captain of PCGA.

Since then, ICC Philippines joins the the global coastal cleanup every 3rd Saturday of September.

DEFINITELY, I CANNOT MISS THIS EVENT!

I instantly signed up myself and Nikko in the event! And then I told him afterwards. Haha!

Ever since we started, we’ve been looking for people who share the same passion as we do. We’ve met people who are wanderlusts, we know lots of them, we started as wanderlusts but this has been the first time that we’re meeting a group who are passionate about the same thing as we are.

It fills my heart with joy (not to get poetic there, but seriously) that we’d get to join this project. As we’ve told you, we’ve been around for only a few months and cleaning up through the #OneSongChallenge whenever we can. This time, we get to do with this group! Imagine how many volunteers will come to this event and create a sea of change, even just on that day. Wow!

I immediately scanned through and looked for the joining form. I was already typing my name while I was calling Nikko. I was just that excited. I told him about ICC and that I was currently typing his name so we could join the cleanup happening soon. And yep, we were both ecstatic! 

I can’t even begin to describe how I feel. I can’t find the right words, but it just feels like the first bite of moist chocolate cake. Heaven! haha!

So, hopefully you got to the end of this post. (don’t worry this is my last paragraph ;) ) And I would just like to invite you and hopefully, you can join us --- the ICC Clean up will be held on 17 September 2016. You can register online (through the ICC homepage, link below) or you can join our group! Get in touch with us! Send us a PM! Come on and join this once a year global challenge!

Hope to see you there!  

We have actually attended an ICC event recently, a teaser of the event to come on September but that’s another story. *wink*