Miss Philippines-Earth 2016 Imelda Bautista Schweighart joined around 1,500 volunteers, partners and stakeholders of Landbank during its Manila Bay Cleanup 2016 event that also launched the Manila Bay Sunset Partnership Program Inc.’s (MBSPPI) “Adopt-an-Estero” project recently at the Catch basin beside the US Embassy on Roxas Boulevard, Manila.
In casual white shirt and blue jeans, Schweighart, representing the Miss Earth Foundation, Inc., one of 26 member-organizations of MBSPPI, was joined by Miss Philippines Air Kiaragiel Gregorio, Miss Philippines Water Loren Mar Artajos and Miss Philippines Fire Shannon Rebecca Bridgman.
Schweighart called on the city residents to join as volunteers in the annual Manila Bay cleanup drive activities. She took the occasion to ask for support on her coming participation at the Miss Earth 2016 pageant. The Fil-German beauty helped the ceremonial throwing of Bokashi mud balls into the waters of Manila Baythat use an effective microorganism technology from Japan to inhibit the growth of algae and break down sludge and silt in the water to help enhance clarity and water flow.
Schweighart also joined in the ceremony for the launch of the Adopt-an-Estero project’s pilot community on Estero de Abad in Barangay 720 in Adriatico, Manila. The MBSPPI officials welcomed five new partners, the DPWH, DENR Environmental Management Bureau, Maynilad Water Services, De La Salle University Manila and Villar Sipag at Tiyaga Foundation Inc., an NGO headed by Senator Cynthia A. Villar, who also graced the event.
MBSPPI President and LandBank First Vice President Catherine Rowena B. Villanueva said that they initially intended to do a quarterly cleanup of the estuary and with its success, conducted on a monthly basis and rolled it out to other waterways in Metro Manila. Eton B. Concepcion