Laboring in Love: Augustinian volunteers unite for coastal cleanup

One Saturday morning, the shores of Manila Bay bustled as students and teachers of Colegio San Agustin (CSA) - Makati’s High School Department gathered for International Coastal Cleanup Day (ICC) at SM by the Bay Central Park, united by their shared love for the planet.

“By extending our compassion and service to the community and environment, we can truly show our love for God and his creations,” replied Janie Papa, a grade 11 volunteer, when asked what drove her to join the ICC.

Ms. Amelia Hongo, Junior High School Science Coordinator and volunteer, shares the sentiment, as she said, “It’s my way of giving back to all the resources that I use and all the blessings I receive from Mother Earth,” when asked the same question. The volunteers emphasized that their participation was not from obligation; rather, it stemmed from their desire to help their community, a true embodiment of the Augustinian core value, Caritas.

“Caritas,” or “selfless love,” as others call it, is quintessentially Augustinian.

It is the foundation of true servant leadership and community engagement and enables Augustinians to advocate for a better community in the face of adversity.

A team of 17 Augustinians, composed of teachers and students, were all united by this core value as they participated in the activity. Working side-by-side, they collected and properly disposed of as much trash from the coasts as possible.

These efforts are a part of the global ICC movement, an international initiative founded by the Ocean Conservancy in 1986 to reduce the amount of trash in the world’s waterways. Since its founding, the initiative has amassed over 18 million volunteers who have collected over 380 million pounds of waste.

CSA’s participation in ICC is aligned with its long-standing initiative, “CSA Goes Green,” which promotes sustainable practices both on and off campus.