Bishop, NGO Caution the Public vs. Wasteful Undas
A Catholic Bishop and an environmental watchdog jointly reminded the faithful to observe the upcoming Undas in a manner that will not squander resources and make the cemeteries stink.
In a shared reminder to the general public, both Caloocan Bishop Deogracias Iñiguez, Jr. and the EcoWaste Coalition advocated for an ecological observance of All Saints’ Day and All Souls Day on November 1 and 2.
“As the holy days get closer, the Church finds it necessary to remind the people to be aware of the impact of their activities to the air, land and water and treat our fragile environment with utmost care and respect,” said Iñiguez, who concurrently serves as Chairperson of the Public Affairs Committee of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines.
“Our wasteful consumption and the tons of garbage we create daily defy the covenant between human beings and God the Creator, and this has to change if we are to get through the environmental and health woes facing our people,” he stated.
“We can help downsize the waste volume during the Undas by being more careful with what we consume and throw away,” he added.
The EcoWaste Coalition echoed Bishop Iñiguez’s plea for an ecological Undas with a parallel call for garbage prevention, particularly in cemeteries.
“We appeal to everyone to keep their trash to the minimum and not to turn the cemeteries into huge garbage bins,” said Christina Vergara, Zero Waste Campaigner, EcoWaste Coalition.
“It will be disrespectful to litter anywhere, especially in the final resting place of our departed loved ones. Cemeteries are consecrated sites, not dumpsites,” she said .
On October 29, the EcoWaste Coalition, together with the Malikhaing Landas na Magpapayabong sa Sining at Kultura (Malaya), Diocese of Caloocan Ecology Ministry and Miss Earth Foundation, will stage a "Zombasura" action at the Manila North Cemetery to draw public attention and support for an ecological Undas.
In a shared reminder to the general public, both Caloocan Bishop Deogracias Iñiguez, Jr. and the EcoWaste Coalition advocated for an ecological observance of All Saints’ Day and All Souls Day on November 1 and 2.
“As the holy days get closer, the Church finds it necessary to remind the people to be aware of the impact of their activities to the air, land and water and treat our fragile environment with utmost care and respect,” said Iñiguez, who concurrently serves as Chairperson of the Public Affairs Committee of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines.
“Our wasteful consumption and the tons of garbage we create daily defy the covenant between human beings and God the Creator, and this has to change if we are to get through the environmental and health woes facing our people,” he stated.
“We can help downsize the waste volume during the Undas by being more careful with what we consume and throw away,” he added.
The EcoWaste Coalition echoed Bishop Iñiguez’s plea for an ecological Undas with a parallel call for garbage prevention, particularly in cemeteries.
“We appeal to everyone to keep their trash to the minimum and not to turn the cemeteries into huge garbage bins,” said Christina Vergara, Zero Waste Campaigner, EcoWaste Coalition.
“It will be disrespectful to litter anywhere, especially in the final resting place of our departed loved ones. Cemeteries are consecrated sites, not dumpsites,” she said .
On October 29, the EcoWaste Coalition, together with the Malikhaing Landas na Magpapayabong sa Sining at Kultura (Malaya), Diocese of Caloocan Ecology Ministry and Miss Earth Foundation, will stage a "Zombasura" action at the Manila North Cemetery to draw public attention and support for an ecological Undas.
"Zombasura," from "Zombies" and "basura," is a term introduced by the EcoWaste Coalition to describe inconsiderate litterbugs in cemeteries and surrounding places. -end-
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