Keep Lingayen beach, tourist spots clean, Pangasinan execs ask visitors

With more visitors flocking to Lingayen Beach and nearby tourist attractions for their summer vacation, Pangasinan officials appealed for cooperation in keeping the areas clean.

Officials made the appeal after some unruly tourists left a mess at Lingayen Beach last Holy Week, GMA Dagupan's Alfie Tulagan reported on "Primera Balita."

Citing information from the province's solid waste management office, the report said three truckloads of garbage were collected a day from the Lingayen Beach and the capitol area last Holy Week.

This was more than the average two truckloads a day.

While trash bins have been placed in strategic areas of the beach, some unruly visitors still threw their trash indiscriminately.

Most of the trash included disposable cups and diapers, and even shells of balut that were thrown in the sand.

"Unang una, pangit siya tingnan. Eyesore siya, at nag-aano ng pollution din," provincial environment management specialist Rowena dela Cruz said of the trash.

On the other hand, some visitors said they clean up. Rose de Vera said they put trash in a plastic bag and bring it home.

Also, the solid waste management office advised that picnic goers use eco-friendly utensils.

For its part, the Pangasinan tourism office appealed to visitors for discipline.

"Sana pagpunta rin nila alagaan nila ang dadatnan nila, na hindi sila magkalat ng basura. At makipagtulungan sa paglinis ng kapaligiran," said Ma. Luisa Elduayan, tourism operations division chief of Pangasinan. — Joel Locsin/LBG, GMA News