Gabriel Patiño’s collected waste from a beach in Occidental Mindoro. Photo courtesy of Gabriel PatiñoIn a video that racked up thousands of views on Tiktok, a pile of discarded medical items, plastic, and other waste greet “cleanfluencer” Gabriel Patiño at a beach in Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro.
For three straight days, Patiño collected trash, filling 15 sacks with lighters, bottle caps, slippers, and shoes — and even medical containers and syringes, making the area not just unpleasant but also hazardous.
“When we got to this beach, we knew that work had to be done,” the 26-year old “cleanfluencer” said in his video.
WATCH: Gabriel Patiño’s Day 19 of Cleaning the Philippines Vlog | @daily.cleanup on TikTok
Known as daily.cleanup on social media, Patiño is one of several content creators who use social media to promote environmental awareness through cleanup activities.
Another “cleanfluencer”, Steel Catangay, believes that the best way to give back to nature for the peace and happiness it provides is through cleaning and leaving no trace.
Steel Catangay’s before and after cleaning Dunsulan Falls in Pilar, Bataan. Photo courtesy of Steel CatangayThe 39-year-old started vlogging in December 2024 and now has 129,000 followers. Known as Byahe ni BAKAL on social media, he frequently organizes “hike and cleanup” drives in his province in Bataan.
“‘Yung paglilinis nung lugar na pinupuntahan namin is ‘yung way ko para mabayaran ‘yung peace tsaka happiness na binibigay sa amin nung nature,” Catangay said.
“Since libre siya, libreng therapy, libreng kasiyahan, libreng kapayapaan, ang masasabi ko lang na kapalit non is linisin mo man lang 'yung lugar na pinuntahan,” Catangay added.
He said the hardest part of their work is hiking for two to four hours just to get to the site, then returning while carrying heavy and foul-smelling bags of waste.
But the challenge does not end after an area is cleaned.
“Paminsan hindi laging tinatanggap ng barangay [‘yung nakolektang basura]. Siyempre, ‘yung pagdala mismo ng basura doon, hindi naman magaan ‘yung basura. Hindi naman puwedeng ilagay sa motor,” Patiño said.
Some cleanfluencers, meanwhile, lack their own tools and equipment.
Franz Agbo cleaning canals. Photo courtesy of Franz Agbo
Franz Luis Agbo, who also works as a ride-hailing rider, borrows equipment from fellow content creators to clean deep canals and clogged drainage in Misamis Oriental.
PUBLIC SERVICE
Agbo’s Facebook page Angkuy’s Vlog shows his 83,000 followers how improper waste disposal affects their community, especially during rainy seasons when clogged drainage can cause flooding.
“Naisip ko na baka sa mga ginagawa ko, may mailigtas tayong buhay. Lalo na ‘yung sa daan na nililinisan ko… Tapos ‘yung sa drainage, inisip ko talaga na makakadaloy nang mayos ang tubig at sa ganon hindi na tumaas ang tubig at maiwasan ang baha,” the 26-year-old said.
Meanwhile, Patiño is currently preparing his first cleanup movement, gathering volunteers and coordinating with officials in Baler, Aurora, in October.
Patiño works at an embassy in Makati during weekdays and spends his days off visiting different places and tourist spots. He said he finds it disappointing when an area that used to be pristine is now covered in trash.
“Naisip ko nalang na isabay ‘yung pagre-record at pag-post para lang din ma-share sa mga ibang tao. Para din magkaroon ng awareness sa mga, kunwari ‘yung mga beaches natin hindi siya laging pristine na sand at dagat, reality din na marami din mga basura… Para ma-expose din ‘yung mga tao sa ganoon na truths ng mga tourist spots natin,” he said.
While Patiño is just starting to build a community, Catangay has been organizing cleanup drives in Bataan for a year now. To him, his measure of success in his initiative is not by the volume of waste they collected.
Instead, he believes that the cleanup drive should encourage people to live by the “leave no trace” principle.
Steel Catangay’s one of his organized cleanup activities in Ambon-Ambon Falls, Bagac, Bataan. Photo courtesy of Steel Catangay
“‘Yung cleanup drive is ma-impart ko sa bawat isang volunteer na bawal magkalat… Kumbaga mayroong 20 [na] sumama at ‘yang 20 na 'yan ang namulat [at] hindi na muling magkakalat,” Catangay shared.
TRASH IN PARADISE
While Catangay has no problem with content creators promoting tourist spots and destinations, he also calls on them to remind and encourage their viewers not to leave their trash in the area.
He also suggests that before promoting a tourist spot, the government should implement a proper waste management program, encouraging the “no orientation, no hike” policy.
Patiño also raised the same concern, noting that the more popular the place is, the more volume of waste it gives.
For him, tourism development must be accompanied by systems that can handle the number of visitors or tourists a destination attracts.
WATCH: Day 16 Cleaning the Philippines: Tabon Falls Cleanup in San Luis, Aurora | TikTok
“Kailangan mag-keep up ‘yung [tourism infrastructure] natin… Kasama doon ang proper solid waste and sewage management systems. Kasi kapag dumami ang tao, dadami rin ang waste. Kapag dumami ang waste sa isang lugar, bakit mo gugustuhing lumangoy sa isang ilog na maraming basura, so ‘yung mismong mga municipalities [at] localities din ang mga walang kita,” Patiño’s call to the local government.
LEAVE NO TRACE
These three “cleanfluencers” use their platforms to make waste visible. Through their content, they show people the habit and action they want their viewers to adopt.
For Agbo, change starts with self-discipline. Aside from raising awareness, he wants to influence the viewers to be more responsible in disposing their own trash.
“Gusto ko po sila ma-impluwensyahan na gagawin rin ‘yung mga ginagawa ko.. Ang gusto kong iparating sa kanila, maging responsable lalo na sa mga basura. Gusto ko ring iparating sa kanila na ang kalinisan ang susi ng pagbabago,” he emphasized.
For Catangay, he hopes that more people would get to appreciate and preserve the peace and happiness they get from nature.
Meanwhile, although Patiño acknowledges the “sana dumami pa ang katulad mo,” “sama ako soon,” or “sana may ma-inspire sa ginagawa mo” comments, he hopes that people will make moves without waiting for a big event.
“Pero ang gusto kong ipa-put ng message is bakit iba pa yung ma-inspire? Bakit iba pa ‘yung gagaya? Kayo nalang mismo ‘yung gumaya… Kahit isang trash bag lang… Kasi naka-contribute ka kahit sa maliit na paraan na yan,” he said.
For people who want to go on nature trips, picnic, or travel, these three “cleanfluencers” hope to impart their message to their viewers.
Patiño’s reminder to the public: “Wag lang nating iwanan ‘yung lugar kung paano natin siya nakita. Iwanan natin siyang mas maganda pa.”