Bishop Appeals for Waste-free 'Undas'

MANILA, Oct. 26, 2009- Green Christmas, green Valentine's, and green fiestas. Now, it's green "Undas."

Caloocan Bishop Deogracias Iñiguez said it's about time to mark the yearly All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day free of piles of garbage.

The celebrations, he said, calls for show of concern among the people for the environment while expressing their love for their departed ones

All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day are special holidays as millions of Filipinos visit the tombs of their departed family members and friends, brining flowers and candles and offering prayers.

But he said, the celebration is often marred by wasteful practices and unabashed littering desecrating the cemeteries that are supposed to be hallowed grounds.

"The environmental lessons from the recent storms should not be ignored as we carry on with our timeless tradition of remembering all the saints and our dear departed ones," said Bishop Iñiguez.

On the contrary, the CBCP official said, people should strive to observe these holy days with the health, safety and welfare of our people and the environment in mind.

"We owe it to all who perished from the calamities to reform the way we have been treating Mother Earth, ensuring that we hurt her no more with our wasteful habits and harmful practices," he stressed.

"Let us remember those who died in the storms and vow to honor their memories by preserving and protecting our fragile environment to the best of our ability," said the prelate.

Environment group Ecowaste Coalition echoed Bishop Iñiguez's concern, adding that the public should make the celebrations a simpler one to avoid generating unnecessary waste and pollution.

Manny Calonzo, Ecowaste Coalition president, said the bishop's call for ecological stewardship was timely at this "crucial time of relief, remedy and healing following the harrowing floods and landslides."

"The widely observed Undas offers a concrete opportunity for everyone to play a constructive role towards curbing crass consumerism that has sullied our beautiful tradition of honoring the dead," Calonzo said.

"Our shared efforts to green our choices and practices-from sprucing up the tombs to the actual visit to the teeming cemeteries-can make this year's Undas kinder to the environment," he added.

Both the bishop and the environment watchdog believe that by keeping the observance of Undas austere, faith-centered, and garbage-free will help in building citizens' involvement and solidarity to combat climate change. (Roy Lagarde)