ASEZ, an international university student volunteer group, is setting an example by cleaning up 14 oceans and rivers around the world that are seriously polluted by plastic waste and is taking the lead in protecting the ecosystem. ASEZ, which stands for Save the Earth from A to Z, is a university student volunteer group of the World Mission Society Church of God. In the Philippines, on the 3rd of November 2024, a cleanup campaign was conducted on Freedom Island Beach in Las Piñas-Parañaque Wetland Park, to reduce environmental pollution and to raise the citizens’ environmental awareness.
The “ASEZ Cleanup of 14 Major Plastic-polluted Beaches and Rivers Around the World” is an activity that implements the UN and international community’s goal of regulating plastic use by 2040. It is carried out with the purpose of garnering global attention and bringing about real change.
Freedom Island Beach is located in the northern portion of the Las Piñas–Parañaque Wetland Park between the cities of Las Piñas and Parañaque. The Las Piñas–Parañaque Wetland Park is a 181.63 hectare legislated protected area which houses 159 species of bird and 47 species of migratory birds. The entire wetland area is designated to be of international importance under the Ramsar Convention of UNESCO. Due to the threats of indiscriminately discarded wastes, the habitat of living things is constantly threatened.
An ASEZ official said, “Environmental pollution threatens the survival of all living things, including humans,” adding, “The Church of God’s college students have helped to preserve a clean and healthy marine ecosystem to provide a pleasant environment for citizens.”
On this day, more than 200 volunteers including ASEZ members, family members, and neighbors participated in the cleanup event. Volunteers wearing matching blue-colored shirts and vests diligently collected trash including plastic bottles, waste vinyl, straws, disposable items, paper cups, beverage cans, and bottles, while searching every nook and cranny along the whole stretch of the beach coast line. Thanks to the hard work of the volunteers who sweated for about two hours starting at 7AM, the amount of trash collected reached 1,265 kg in 252 recycled sacks.
To welcome the volunteer work of the college students, the park attendant of Las Piñas-Parañaque Wetland Park, Mr. Jaymark Olvido, expressed his gratitude to the volunteers, saying, “Nagpapasalamat po kami na naglaan kayo ng oras na makatulong sa paglinis dito sa area. Sana ay dumami pa po ang mga katulad niyo na nag-vovolunteer sa pangangalaga na maprotektahan ‘yong environment natin.” (We are grateful that you have allotted time to help clean this area. I hope that there will be more people like you who volunteer in taking care of and protecting our environment.)
The planning officer of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources South, Ms. Nessie Del Rosario, who was present at the scene, expressed her gratitude to the volunteers, saying, “Maraming salamat sa pag-invite sa DENR South. Sa pag-attend namin, we were so shocked kasi napakarami pa ring nagpunta kahit na holiday. We are happy kasi alam namin na isa kayo sa mga kasama namin sa protection ng ating kalikasan.” (Thank you very much for inviting DENR South. When we attended, we were so shocked because many still participated though it is a holiday. We are happy because we know that you are one of those who are with us in protecting our environment.)
Laarni Nolasco, a student at Mapua University, looked at the cleaned-up beach and said proudly, “Before, I only saw these piles of trash on social media. I am thankful to be given a chance to participate in this coastal cleanup and make a change through ASEZ.”
ASEZ carries out climate change response activities, crime prevention activities, community service activities, and disaster relief activities around the world, and also participates in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a common goal of the international community. This year, ASEZ members cleaned up urban areas, parks, rivers, and the sea in Davao, Iloilo, Valenzuela, Quezon City, and Butuan, including the Las Piñas-Parañaque Wetland Park, the coastal road of Cagayan de Oro, and the Manila U-Belt where many universities are located.
In Antipolo and Meycauayan, large-scale tree planting activities were carried out, contributing to preventing soil erosion and landslides and restoring the ecosystem. In addition, visits to orphanages, support for educational supplies for special schools, and beautification of urban environments to prevent crime were also carried out. During the COVID-19 pandemic, they visited the police station, general hospital, and barangay office in San Pablo City to deliver thank-you letters and snacks.
The selfless activities of the university students have been met with support and cooperation from all walks of life. The Vice Minister of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, as well as mayors, city councilors, police chiefs, university presidents, and principals, have presented awards and certificates of appreciation. The international community has also given them numerous awards, including the Secretary-General’s Award of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), the U.S. President’s Volunteer Service Award, the Peruvian Speaker’s Award, and the Green Apple Award, an international environmental award. At the same time, more than 60,000 people around the world, including former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Nobel Prize laureate Robert Hoover, are encouraging ASEZ with signatures of support.
Last June, the “2024 Global ASEZ Summit” was held in Korea, where the implementation of the Earth’s environmental restoration project was resolved. About 2,000 people, including university students from six continents, gathered at the site. Under the theme of “Preventing Global Desertification and Restoring the Earth’s Environment”, environmental issues and solutions from each continent were shared and six agendas were adopted to resolve them and they pledged to put them into practice. Global leaders, including UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Peruvian Prime Minister Gustavo Adrianzen, and Philippine and Honduran Ambassadors to Korea, sent congratulatory messages and video messages to support ASEZ activities.
The Church of God, the foundation of ASEZ, began in Korea in 1964 and celebrated its 60th anniversary this year. In 175 countries including Korea, 3.7 million believers in 7,800 regions believe in God the Father and God the Mother according to the Bible. In accordance with the Bible’s teaching to love your neighbor as yourself, they engage in various activities such as blood donation, helping neighbors, environmental cleanup movements, and disaster relief. The dedicated volunteer work of this church has been awarded more than 4,800 times by governments and organizations from various countries including the United States, Korea, and Brazil.
