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EDITORIAL
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January 28, 2018
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FESTIVALS such as the Dinagyang bring people together in a celebration of our rich cultural heritage, enabling communities to rekindle spiritual ties, honor ethnic roots, entertain guests, and to partake in a spectacle of excitement and fun.
But are the environmental impacts of festivals hardly ever considered? The truth is that these fun activities are carried out not only with utmost delight and spending spree but also with typical wastefulness. These celebrations can severely spoil the environment, set off pollution and climate change.
We sympathize with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in its lonely call for a zero waste Dinagyang. “We cannot change hearts overnight. Admittedly, there is still a need to educate people on the importance and benefits of waste management,” says Regional Director Jim Sampulna. This is heartbreaking. Can’t we profess our faith and celebrate our culture in a manner that will not defile and harm the environment?
From being unmindful of the environmental consequences of our vibrant community celebrations, we are being challenged to pay serious attention to all festivals’ health and environmental impacts, and strive to transform them into a “zero waste celebration of life.” Can’t we have fun without causing further damage to our ecosystems that are crying for healing and protection?
We have the Dinagyang, Ati-Atihan, Sinulog, etc. because the feast of Santo Niño is widely observed as a special day when believers pray to the Child Jesus for divine intercession. Surely, we can make these festivals fitting expressions of our faith as stewards of Mother Nature. While celebrating, we must strive to reduce waste to zero or darn near, preventing all forms of pollution, conserving water, electricity and other resources, and saving funds for basic needs and charities. Now that real devotion in motion.
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