IN THE wake of the Binaliw landfill tragedy in Cebu City, the Archdiocese of Cebu is directing all religious institutions under its jurisdiction to take the lead in showing environmental responsibility by helping reduce waste.
In a pastoral appeal, Cebu Archbishop Alberto Uy directed all parishes, schools, religious communities, and organizations to lead by example in demonstrating moral and spiritual responsibility.
“Practice proper waste segregation. Avoid plastic in parish events. Teach environmental responsibility in catechism and classrooms. Show that faith and care for creation go together,” Uy said.
“Let our churches be models of discipline and responsibility,” he added.
Similarly, he called on Cebuanos to start garbage management inside their respective homes through waste segregation, reducing single-use plastics, reusing what can still be used, and composting biodegradable waste.
“These are small acts. But when done by thousands of families every day, they become powerful,” he said.
“I humbly ask every Cebuano Catholic: Do not wait for the government to solve this problem for you. Be part of the solution,” Uy added.
He noted that these actions are part of the faithful’s moral and spiritual responsibility as stewards of the Earth.
“As Christians, we believe that creation is a gift from God entrusted to us. We are not owners of this earth. We are stewards,” he said.
“To throw garbage irresponsibly is not only bad citizenship. It is poor stewardship. It is forgetting that God entrusted this beautiful island of Cebu to our care. Caring for the environment is not optional for Christians. It is part of our faith,” Uy added.
On January 8, tragedy struck the Binaliw landfill in Cebu City after the collapse of massive piles of garbage crushed workers in the area.
The tragedy revived calls for the shutdown of unsafe dumpsites and similar facilities, as well as the full enforcement of the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act through waste reduction, segregation at source, recycling, and composting. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)