In a Sustainability Talk organized by the Subic Sailing Club on March 30 at the Lighthouse Marina Resort, WWF-Philippines Head of Education for Sustainable Development Dino Calderon emphasized the power of collective action and the need for individual care to protect the oceans. 
 

“We’re all part of nature, and all our actions add up. No matter how big or how little you think it is, all our actions on land resonate across the sea and have impacts on the environment,”  said Calderon.
 

WWF-Philippines echoes that while there is no silver bullet solution to save the ocean, big things are still possible when people from different walks of life do their part to protect our rich marine ecosystem.  
 

The Sustainability Talk is part of the shared objectives of the WWF-Philippines and BPI Private Wealth to raise awareness about marine conservation and to always practice environmental stewardship in every race.
 

To live up to this environmental commitment, two coastal cleanups were conducted during the second season of the yacht race series. WWF-Philippines spearheaded the coastal cleanup for the Boracay race, whereas the Subic Sailing Club led the cleanup for the Subic race. 
 

Zed Avecilla, sailor and managing director of the Subic Sailing Club, trusts that these types of events during the yacht race will “trigger the passion to take action” in protecting the ocean. 
 

“We always see the data on the Philippines being one of the worst plastic-polluting countries, but we rarely see the solutions. Hopefully and through these types of events, we can show some of the good things that are happening, the available solutions, and the possible actions to take,” added Avecilla. 
 

A study commissioned by WWF-Philippines shows that plastic holds the third largest share in the overall generated waste in the Philippines, with approximately 4.8 to 12.7 million tonnes of plastic entering the ocean yearly.
 

“It’s important that these sailors take ownership of their role in marine conservation [because] there will come a time when they will navigate these same waters and come face-to-face with these problems”, said Calderon. 
 

WWF-Philippines hopes that as the excitement on yacht racing reignites and the sailing community continuously grow, environmental stewardship will always be at the core of the BPI Private Wealth Signature Yacht Race Series.