BAGUIO CITY – The Diocese of Baguio wants the people to concretize one of the Church’s pastoral priorities which is sustaining the environment by strengthening its environmental advocacies in partnership with other environment-concerned movements and organizations with the support of government agencies.
In a pastoral letter read in all the parishes in Baguio and Benguet, Bishop Victor Bendico stated that the Diocesan Commission on Environment was tasked to coordinate efforts for the crafting, organization, and dissemination and sustenance of the church’s environmental advocacies, programs and initiatives.
He recommended that the Commission should come out with the radio program on the environment and to include the ‘Lauda to si’ in school curriculum and seminary formation.
Further, he pushed for the creation of a catechetical module in Ilocano taking to mind the doctrinal and Biblical background of good stewardship of the environment for the information of the people.
The Bishop also suggested to establish in the different parishes ecology desks aside from crafting programs for the congregation to promote ecological spirituality, to sustain the bamboo program and tree nurseries, to coordinate with government agencies like the Municipal environment and Natural Resources Office (MENRO) to adopt a forest project, propose a week of creation celebration, and other concrete practices to enhance the sustenance of the environment.
According to him, the Commission will also coordinate with the different universities and colleges and other school institutions to inculcate an attitude of ecological awareness to the young by including environmental care in their National Service Training Program (NSTP).
Moreover, he emphasized that the church needs to link and network with other non-government organizations whose advocacy on the environment is aligned with the Diocesan advocacy and program.
“We all journey together in the quest for balance between our livelihood and environmental care. Mother Earth provides for our livelihood, we must also protect and care for it. We do not only care for our land today but also look beyond for the future generations,” Bishop Bendico stressed.
He urged everyone to express their ideas for a participative and collaborative effort on this endeavor of sustaining the environment.
On the other hand, he encouraged government agencies, local government units, non-government organizations, civic groups concerned with the environment, among others, to come to a dialogue and together find ways on how the people can really work together to address the prevailing environmental issues, such as the protection of the forest reserves like Mount Pulag.
Bendico expressed support to the proposed moratorium on the cutting of trees in the city although the same has not been actually realized
He also lauded the ongoing promotion and practice of organic farming among the agriculture industry stakeholders as part of the efforts to preserve and protect the environment.
