TOGETHER: Volunteers trooped to West Coast Shamal beach for an environmental initiative.       Photo by Benny Macalma

By Joey Aguilar


A total of 365 volunteers coming from different Filipino organisations recently participated in a beach clean-up drive at West Coast Shamal (Al Jemail Shamal, near “The Ruins”) over the weekend.
Under the patronage of Qatar’s Ministry of Environment, the initiative was spearheaded by Answering the Cry of the Poor (Ancop), a non-profit Filipino organisation, which organise various programmes to help the poor and protect the environment.
In a press statement, Ancop said part of the environmental initiative is to educate children aged between 3 and 12 on the importance of preserving and taking care of the environment.
“Protecting the environment and natural resources should be part of our daily lives,” Ancop said. “People should realise that the little waste we throw on the streets also reaches our beaches, which threatens marine life.”
The group noted that the activity teaches children to be responsible residents who know how to keep their environment clean. “It is a one-way to keep the oceans healthy for generations to come.”
Besides supporting the education of some poor students, the group also conducts fund-raising activities for the construction of health centres in the Philippines.
Other Filipino organisations such as Doha Pinoy Shooters Club and Pinoy Mountain Bikers Qatar also took part in the activity.
Ancop hopes to have another similar activity in the future with more organisations and individuals participating.
Many groups have been spearheading beach clean-up drives in different places, including a mangrove clean-up project at Al Thakira and Al Khor in May last year.
The activity received an “overwhelming response,” attracting about 400 volunteers. Government agencies such as the Qatar Tourism Authority and Hamad Medical Corporation also supported the environmental initiative of iloveqatar.net
The mangrove clean-up saw a large number of residents working together and braving the hot temperature to protect the mangroves.
The volunteers collected two truckloads of garbage from the site. A big chunk was also brought by Global Metals to its recycling facility.