Cleaning Cagay: A River Cleanup Led by Young Volunteers

A group of Subang volunteers took their environmental commitment beyond the campus on October 5, 2024, conducting a river cleanup in Cagay, Barili, Cebu.

Spearheaded by Subang Philippines Environmental Affairs Vice-President Rodney Joseph B. Sundo, the activity brought together volunteers from the Subang Cebu Technological University Chapter, including Subang Philippines President Peter John C. Enorio.

The volunteers collected plastic waste and glass bottles along portions of the river, removing materials that could otherwise contribute to pollution and threaten surrounding ecosystems.

Although simple in scale, the activity reflected a practical approach to environmental stewardship: identifying an immediate community concern and responding through collective volunteer action.

The cleanup also connected Subang's local environmental work with the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 13 on Climate Action and SDG 14 on Life Below Water. While a river cleanup is a localized intervention, protecting waterways contributes to the broader effort to maintain healthy ecosystems and reduce the impacts of pollution on communities and the environment.

For the volunteers, the activity was another opportunity to demonstrate that environmental action does not always require large-scale programs. Sometimes, meaningful work begins with people showing up, taking responsibility for a shared space, and doing what they can to leave it better than they found it.

The Cagay river cleanup became part of the growing body of environmental volunteer work being undertaken by Subang Cebu Technological University in its early years.