Ecological evangelization

CEBU, Philippines - Because climate change is everyone's concern, the religious have also taken a role to help address the problem.

The Basilica del Santo Niño, through its social arm, the Sto. Niño de Cebu Augustinian Social

Development Foundation (SNAF), uses the teachings of God to remind its people of His creations. Fr. Tito Soquiño, executive director of SNAF, said one has sinned if he has desecrated, especially on purpose, God's creation. Soquiño was referring to the environment and all things that breathe and live. And he calls their way of teaching as "ecological evangelization," the same way Christ roamed from place to place to teach His people of the good deeds, but in this case Soquiño's group is specific: the good deeds should be toward the environment.

Unlike regular Church preachings, however, wherein the faithful go to the church to hear the Holy Mass, the same also in Christ's time, SNAF takes these Holy Masses to the people. For four years, the Augustinian foundation through the "Duaw Sto. Niño," has been to at least nine islands in the country, the latest of which was Limasawa in Southern Leyte where the very first mass was held. And every time, SNAF carries with it the pilgrim image of the Holy Child. Soquiño said they have to bring the Sto. Niño to draw people to their cause.

Last April, the Sto. Niño and His entourage--Soquiño, members of the Philippine Coast Guard and the Phil. Navy and devotees--arrived at the port of Limasawa. Hundreds welcomed the Holy Child to the island. Even outside Cebu, wherein the Holy Child is revered by every man, the Sto. Niño still has that unwavering magnet to draw people to Him, said Soquiño. And that magnet is SNAF's key to draw as many people to its public forums, which are done on every island visit. Prior to the forum proper, environmentalist Mario Gasalatan, volunteer of SNAF, would show to the island people a video presentation of the underwater scenes, healthy and destroyed. On the morning before the forum, a group of divers from Knight-Stewards of the Sea, Inc. (Seaknights), in which Soquiño is president, dive to the island's marine sanctuary and document what is in there. The data gathered during this dive is then shown to the barangay residents on the night forum, at the local church while they pay homage to the Sto. Niño. Soquiño said since most of the residents don't dive, they have to take a video of their underwater resources so the people can see it for themselves.

"When you see the beauty underwater, you'll learn not only to appreciate it, but also to protect it," said Soquino, who is also a licensed SCUBA diver. In most cases, however, the islands visited by Soquiño's group were devastated by long-time destructive fishing, which can be unfortunately attributed to the local fishers themselves. "The destruction continues and every day fewer and fewer fishes are caught," the diving priest said. What's more, he added, is that most of these island people thrive on fishing.

The "Duaw Sto. Niño" first happened in Bien Unido, Bohol. SNAF, with the assistance of USAID's Fish Project and the local government of Bien Unido, stayed in the small fishing islands of Bien Unido for three days, telling the local fishers and their family the importance of their marine resources and that they need to preserve these for the next generations to come. Bien Unido was chosen by SNAF and the Fish Project as it hosts a vast portion of the Danajon Double Barrier Reef, the only double barrier in the Philippines and one of the six in the whole world. Not only is the Danajon Bank one of its kind, it is also home to the world's unique marine species, where the whole Visayas and the rest of the country get their supply of seafood. Unfortunately, however, the area is a victim of dynamite and cyanide fishing to name a few.

Bien Unido's Bilangbilangan and Malingin islands were among the areas visited by the SNAF. Soquiño said they have to reach the grassroots level as it is where the source of destruction comes from. Soquiño said SNAF's "Thousand Island Project" aims to reach out to as many islands and islets in the country.

Gasalatan, in his video presentation, reminded the people of these islands that if they continue to use the destructive means of fishing, there will be no more fishes in the Danajon Bank in the near future. The people of Bien Unido can not relate to climate change or global warming despite the fact that their islands are affected to it as with the seawater level rises their islands are getting smaller each year, hence Soquiño and his team target them to where they can identify themselves to, and that is the food chain. "Kill all the fish, naturally there will be no more fishes in the future. No fish, no more food for them," Soquiño said. But the priest admitted they could not succeed overnight.

The Danajon Bank, a 272 square-kilometer reef, is shared by the provinces of Bohol, Cebu, Leyte and Southern Leyte. Bohol owns 80 percent of the entire reef including Bien Unido's 7,600 hectares. Bien Unido is just a small town with only a few BantayDagat men and fewer boats to patrol this wide expanse of seawater. In 2011, Bien Unido Mayor Niño Rey Boniel had to install a 14-foot image of the Virgin Mary and the Sto. Niño in Danajon Bank. Boniel said this is to remind the illegal fishers that the area is being watched not only by the BantayDagay people but also by the Supreme Beings. Although illegal fishing has not been completely eradicated, fishers have reportedly stayed out of the areas where these statues stand.

In August 2010, the Sto. Niño de Cebu left the Basilica for the second time. This time to visit for two days the people of Olango Island in Lapu-Lapu City. Olango's Tungasan Reef was part of the visit's public forum. In that forum, Soquiño's group showed a "desert" that was, as of August 2010, the Tungasan's seabed, when it had been alive with marine species several years before that. The Seaknights who dived the reef believed it was a result of unrestrained destructive fishing. Simplicio "Boyla" Gilig, a resident of Olango who was instrumental in having the "Duaw Sto. Niño" in the island, had said he is hopeful that in two to three years time, with proper rehabilitation and protection, the reef would be back to its old self again. At that time Gilig was waiting for a local ordinance declaring the reef into a marine sanctuary to be passed.

The third "Duaw Sto. Niño" happened in Naval, Biliran. It was the first time that the Holy Child left Cebu after almost 500 years. "When God created the world, He said 'take care of it' not dominate it. But we are doing otherwise. So now. We are experiencing global warming," said Naval Bishop Filomeno Bactol in his homily.

The Sto. Niño's image was also brought to the Calubihan Island in Biliran, another fishing village, where it stayed for a night.

In 2012, the Sto. Niño made a historic voyage to Limasawa Island in Southern Leyte for the first time after 491 years since it was brought to Cebu by the Spaniards. The Holy Child also visited Maasin, Southern Leyte for one day. On April this year, following the success of last year's visit, SNAF for the second time brought the Holy Child's image to Limasawa and Maasin.

"Many island communities in the country depend largely on the seas for their livelihood and sustenance. However, the seas can no longer provide food adequately for a fast growing population, as overfishing has caused the rapid decline of fish catch," said Fr. Soquiño.

Soquiño explained that while the basic function of their order is to spread the words of God, their foundation also works to help the faithful live in a sustainable environment. He said with the four years of visiting the country's islands and with the help of the media, the local government units, various NGOs and the people, albeit slowly the "Duaw" has "raised awareness" on the importance of the environment in the everyday life.

"We are now seeing a convergence of the different stakeholders around the environmental issues. We hope to keep it that way, as it is a lifetime project," Soquiño said. –QSB (FREEMAN)