WITH PANDEMIC protocols gradually being eased, there is an anticipation surge of people taking part in Holy Week activities. We appeal to the faithful not to leave any trail of trash in popular pilgrimage sites. Also, those intending to visit excursion spots during the four-day long weekend must follow the eco-mantra “take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but memories, kill nothing but time.”
Let us aspire for an eco-friendly litter-free Holy Week as we recollect the passion of Christ, seek forgiveness for past sins and rekindle our faith through prayers, penance and acts of charity. For the sake of our fellow pilgrims and Mother Earth, please observe COVID-19 health protocols and avoid all forms of littering when you perform the Visita Iglesia (visit to at least seven churches to pray), take part in the Via Crucis (Way of the Cross) and Santo Entierro (Holy Interment) processions, and celebrate Easter in the Salubong (the re-enactment of Virgin Mary’s meeting with the Resurrected Christ).
Those planning to go out of town to take a breather from the stressful pandemic and from the sizzling summer should likewise aim for an eco-friendly retreat by avoiding single-use plastics, bringing water in reusable containers, car pooling, conserving food, water and electricity, not smoking or vaping and, of course, by not leaving any garbage behind.
Regardless of where your destination is, please take this reminder to heart: Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but memories, kill nothing but time. Be an eco-friendly tourist at all times. Litter is not only unsightly, but also unhygienic and polluting as litter attracts flies and rats and causes the spread of diseases, while creating a rotting smell from food waste. Litter, especially single-use plastic bags, can be blown or washed into waterways and the oceans, harming marine life. The Ecological Solid Waste Management Act bans littering and violators can be fined from P300 to P1,000, asked to perform one to 15-day community service, or be required to pay the fine as well as render community service.
Keeping the observance of Holy Week eco-friendly is consistent with the stance of the bishops who, in 2015, said: “We are not owners of the earth. We are its stewards, to keep and cherish and nurture its resources not only for ourselves but for future generations.”
