NEGROS ORIENTAL, Jan. 19 (PIA)
--Thousands of pilgrims from the various parts of Leyte and Samar including the
environmental advocates in a Gathering of Poor held a candle-lighting to
welcome Pope Francis on the eve of his visit to the Typhoon-devastated
city of Tacloban.
The groups under
the People’s Committee to Welcome the Pope in Eastern Visayas (People’s
Welcome-EV) gathered to appeal to the pontiff to give voice to the Typhoon
Yolanda (Haiyan) survivors’ calls for justice and accountability at UP,
Tacloban City.
Convener of People’s
Welcome – EV and chair of the People Surge Alliance for Yolanda (Haiyan)
Survivors, Dr. Efleda Bautista said, “We ask His Holiness to join our
continuing calls for justice and the accountability for the typhoon survivors
being abandoned and the frontline communities most vulnerable to
disasters and other impacts of climate change.”
“We are one with the
Holy Father’s climate activism as he prepares to release an encyclical on the
climate crisis after his visit here in Tacloban,” said Dr. Bautista.
The gathering opened
with a liturgy and a reflection on the social teachings and ideals of Pope
Francis by the religious. This was followed by testimonies and cultural
performances that highlighted the major issues of disasters, big mining,
corruption, and militarization that beset disaster survivors in the country.
This concluded with a
candle-lighting vigil that highlighted their calls for the Vatican’s divestment
from coal and other fossil fuel projects that may worsen global warming and the
climate crisis.
Southeast Asia
coordinator of international climate action group 350.org, Zephanie
Repollo explained that “His Holiness can undertake this not only to
significantly cut global carbon emissions that cause global warming, but also
to challenge polluter nations and companies to follow his example.”
Sisters’ Association
in Mindanao (SAMIN) executive secretary Sr. Noemi Degala said “the religious
sisters from various congregations in Mindanao have written personal postcard
messages appealing to the Pope to stand with us in calling for social and climate
justice, especially for the poorest and most vulnerable communities.”
The SAMIN journeyed to
Leyte to learn and practice the Pope’s social teachings among the Yolanda
survivors.
Secretary general of
Mindanao indigenous people’s organization KALUMARAN Dulphing
Ogan said “the indigenous people of Mindanao are fellow children of the
storm of the Yolanda survivors, having gone through an unending string of
devastating typhoons compounded by intensifying militarization especially in
remote communities coupled with aggressive big mining and other so-called
development projects. We have made this pilgrimage to Yolanda ground zero in
solidarity with the survivors and with the ideals of the Pope.”
KALUMARAN is a
Mindanao-wide indigenous people's group that is a partner organization of
SAMIN.
President of
No-Dwelling Zone communities’ alliance BAKHAWAN Christopher
Durana said “the daily injustices we continue to face more than a year
after storm surges destroyed our homes are only bound to worsen as typhoons
become stronger and greater in number, while the government continues to
exclude the majority of typhoon victims from Emergency Shelter Assistance and
other forms of recovery and reconstruction measures.”
(mbcn/JCT/PIA-Negros Oriental)