One small step for the better good, the country’s leading canned tuna brand Century Tuna starts its Saving Our Seas campaign with its largest beach cleanup in the history of Mabini in Batangas. Plastic waste management was encouraged to the public with the help of their partners: impact organization HOPE as well as Aling Tindera’s Waste-to-Cash program.

Century Tuna’s Saving Our Seas program has rolled of this year in Anilao, Batangas, and is off for greater years ahead.

Being in the canned tuna industry for more than 40 years, Century Tuna wants to stay and provide nourishment to Filipinos for hundreds of years and beyond. In order to do that, the brand aims to fish sustainably by removing anything that makes the seas unhealthy.

“We should see it as a historic moment because Century Tuna has moved forward in terms of taking an initiative on sustainability, by putting together the right elements that will make it sustainable. I think it’s a start, and given the response, it’s inspiring to continue this campaign,” said Century Pacific Food, Inc. EVP & COO Mr. Greg Banzon.

The commencement of the campaign in Anilao, Batangas saw a successful turnout, as the first day of the shore and reef clean-up gathered a total of 156 trash bags with 805.4 kilograms of trash collected by a total of 212 clean-up volunteers, joined by Century Tuna Ambassador Alden Richards and the Century Tuna Superbods. This makes the event the biggest beach clean-up ever in Mabini, Batangas.

Mr. Carlo Endaya, Century Pacific Food, Inc.’s VP & GM for Branded Tuna Business emphasized that even if the clean-up started in Anilao, the program will happen nationwide.

“We still want everybody in the Philippines to join even if they’re not at the beach, because plastic pollution prevention starts in our home. Our usage of plastic has to make its way into the right material and recovering facility, and the Aling Tindera sites are also nationwide. That’s what we want to communicate to people,” said Mr. Endaya.

More than just a clean-up activity, Century Tuna aims to inspire Filipinos through the Saving Our Seas campaign to take part in lessening the plastic pollution in the seas, and taking action to clear away existing plastic waste. With the help of the public in joining the advocacy, the brand’s goal is to collect 10 metric tons of plastic away from the seas this year.

“We want to create more awareness for sustainability and more awareness towards taking plastic out of the system so that microplastics don’t leak into our ocean and eventually go into our food. We want to inspire more people to join the initiative as any effort, whether big or small, is important for our future,” said Mr. Leonardo Po, Director & Treasurer of Century Pacific Food, Inc.

Prior to the campaign, Century Tuna has been plastic-neutral in their operations for 3 years now. The brand recognizes Aling Tindera and HOPE Foundation as the gamechangers in completing the plastic circular economy, as they allow communities to earn money from collecting plastic, and makes sure that the plastic collected goes to the right facilities to be properly recycled or disposed of.

Alongside the Saving Our Seas campaign launch, Century Tuna also introduced their newest product Ventresca, the brand’s most premium tuna full of indulgence. The brand also commemorated this year’s Earth Hour movement during the event as a symbol of commitment to saving the planet.

Century Tuna’s “Saving Our Seas” campaign is just a start of their many initiatives to help our planet. The campaign is not just a one-time, big-time event, as the brand still continues to track the plastic recovered in Anilao sites monthly. It also aims to stay aware of other clean-up efforts done by different organizations and find ways to support/help them—and ultimately save the planet.