THE Marianas Visitors Authority is alarmed by the rampant littering and dumping at the tourist spots in Marpi and in various other places around the island, MVA Managing Director Christopher Concepcion said.
“The lack of enforcement isn’t helping the matter,” he added, referring to the anti-littering law.
The law is supposed to be enforced by the Bureau of Environmental and Coastal Quality, the Department of Lands and Natural Resources, Public Health, the Department of Public Works, the Office of the Mayor, the Commonwealth Zoning Office, the Department of Public Lands and the Department of Public Safety.
According to Concepcion, hikers recently found household thrash illegally dumped near the Japanese memorial in Marpi.
“This area in Marpi with household waste is used by Japanese memorial groups to cremate remains from World War II so we are working with other agencies and community groups to help clean up the site. We ask that litter law enforcement officers be more vigilant and proactive to prevent these types of crimes from happening repeatedly. This is a blatant violation of our litter law, and it must stop,” Concepcion said.
Cow manure
In related news, community volunteer Max Aguon said he has been cleaning up cow manure in the Kalabera cave parking area.
On Sept. 30, besides cow manure, Aguon said he also found what seemed to be cow blood in the area.
“I cleaned it up,” he added. “I don’t know why there’s blood there. Maybe somebody killed a cow there.”
Aguon said when he returned to the Kalabera Cave on Saturday, Oct. 5, he found cow manure in the parking area once again. “I cleaned it up again,” he added.
Aguon is once again asking the owners of the cows roaming freely in Marpi to secure the animals as they are leaving manure at popular tourist sites in the area.
Since at least 2011, the Marianas Visitors Authority has been expressing concern about the negative effect on tourism of cow manure in the area.
In 2020, the Department of Public Lands said cattle found on the loose in the area would be seized and eradicated and the cattle owners’ DPL-issued grazing permit could be revoked.
Community volunteer and Parks and Recreation staffer Max Aguon cleans up cow manure in the Kalabera Cave parking area on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024.
Household trash, including appliances, railings and plastic chairs, were found by hikers near the Japanese memorial in Marpi.
