THOUSANDS of volunteers in Zambales joined the International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) on Sept. 16 in response to the call to help protect the environment.

Partial results from municipal ICC coordinators in Zambales indicated at least 71,000 participants from eight of the 13 municipalities in the province, with the capital town of Iba registering the biggest delegation at 20,700.

Twenty-eight boats manned by fisherfolks from Subic and Olongapo also participated in the activity.

ICC Zambales area coordinator Zedrick Avecilla said that coordinators from five more towns have yet to submit their lists as of presstime.

The ICC, organized by Ocean Conservancy, is the world’s largest volunteer effort to protect the world’s oceans. Held every third Saturday of September, volunteers from around the globe participate in clearing tons of trash from coastlines, rivers and lakes and recording every piece of trash collected.

In the Philippines, the cleanup drive is covered by Presidential Proclamation No. 470 signed in 2003 that enjoined Filipinos to observe the global coastal clean-up celebration.