Coastal cleanup brings interfaith groups together

A number of Christian and Muslim volunteers banded together in cleaning up the shoreline of a coastal village in the city on Thursday.

The activity in Brgy. Bancao-Bancao was led by the Apostolic Vicariate of Puerto Princesa (AVPP) as the local Church marks the “Season of Creation”, which opened on Tuesday.

Bishop Socrates Mesiona echoed Pope Francis’ call for the people to “care for our common home” and denounced the “throwaway” culture of today’s society.

“We have different religions, we have different beliefs, but we live in the same world. Hopefully, we will all imbibe the spirituality of protecting the environment,” he said.

Hadji Arturo ‘Abdulaziz’ Suizo, a local Muslim leader, also said that Islam has given much importance to the cause of protecting the environment.

“Let us protect it for the next generation,” he said.

In the Vatican, Pope Francis on Sept. 1 led the opening of the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation that will end on the Oct. 4 feast of St. Francis.

Carrying the theme, “Jubilee for the Earth,” the month-long event is part of the effort to raise awareness about climate change and environment conservation.

In the Philippines, the celebration extends up to October 11, which is the Indigenous Peoples Sunday.

Palawan’s interfaith community will also have a tree-planting activity on Sept. 30 in the mountain of Irawan.

In 2019, the AVPP planted 10,000 trees at the Mt. Mantalingahan Protected Landscape in Brooke’s Point. (Katya A. Santos | CBCP News)

A version of this article was first published on CBCP News.