Reef brought us to one of the country’s top hotspots for surfing, Say hello to Baler, Aurora. It was an exciting 3 days event, as we were treated with different activities where we helped preserve the beauty of Sabang Beach and tried surfing as well.
Six hours bus ride from Cubao led us to Nalu Surf Camp in Baler. We were greeted by the sound of waves crashing on the shore. It excites me to see that we’re staying in a beachfront resort, what an easy access to the beach right?
Well, we weren’t here just to witness the famous waves of Baler. We were all brought here by Reef in partnership with WWF Philippines for a cause. Something that will benefit each every one of us and as well our future generations.
Reef, a surf and lifestyle brand known worldwide is serious in promoting responsible travel and environmental conservation. They spearheaded the coastal clean-up that aims to restore and preserve the beauty of the Sabang Beach.
We were divided into three groups, each group were given a tally sheet where we have to record the count of waste per category. ( ex, plastic, paper, biodegradable or non-biodegrable, etc.).
“With more and more travelers discovering the beauty of our island and with the rise of local tourism, now is a good time for us to educate people on the environmental impact tourism has and how we all need to work together maintain our beaches o people can continue to enjoy them for years to come,” Marnelli Gaerlan Marketing Head for Reef, shared.
We strolled the shore of Sabang Beach for an hour and we have collected an almost 100 kilos of trash consists mostly of plastic wrappers and cigarette butts. Each one of us should be responsible with our own trash, always practice CLAY-GO (clean as you go) wherever we are. You don’t have to wait for a coastal clean up activities to make a change. Imagine in every candy wrappers that we are throwing we are slowly killing the sea, the marine animals and even affecting the people who works on it for a living.
After helping out with the coastal clean up, we were treated to a laid-back music performances from Anne Clerigo and Banna Harbera. Reef also donated P30,000 to WWF’s in support to their environmental programs. We also got the chance to bond with our fellow volunteers whom we met just that day.
We also didn’t miss the opportunity to tried surfing with the help of friendly instructors from Nalu Surf Camp. For 350/hour you will learn the basics of surfing. Sounds cool right? They opened a Surfari Beginners’ Competition the next day and followed by a festive After Party which capped the weekend.
Reef’s Free the Sea Movement: Baler was sponsored by Juan Light Studio, Bike King’s Kitchen, Madison’s Cafe Baler, La Patricia Hotel, Baler and the Shack, Baler with music partners Ann Clerigo, Bann Habera, Eazyhead, DJ Domes Badwolf and DJ CC.
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