Participants of the “Bayan ng Basura” (Town of Garbage) storytelling activity at the Philippine Daily Inquirer’s office in Makati, Philippines.
Bayan ng Basura depicts the story of a sea turtle named “Pawikan” who was swept away by a storm in a darker and more polluted part of the ocean. On his journey home, Pawikan met sea creatures who are also tormented by the plastic situation, including a whale that has ingested shampoo sachets, an octopus entangled in ropes, and a prawn living inside a plastic bottle.
The book also offered solutions on how to end plastic pollution, which includes calling on companies to stop the relentless production of single-use plastics and enabling local government units to implement stricter regulations on garbage disposal.