About 300 Join Coastal Cleanup in Philippines’ Mindoro as part of Season of Creation
About 300 people from various sectors, organizations and institutions joined a coastal cleanup in Calapan City, capital of Oriental Mindoro province in the central Philippines, on September 19 as part of the Season of Creation 2026.
The activity was organized by the Sto. Niño Cathedral Commission on Service of the Diocese of Calapan under the theme, “Living Waters: Daloy ng Pagbabago, Daloy ng Pananampalataya at Daloy ng Pag-asa” (Living Waters: Flow of Change, Flow of Faith and Flow of Hope).
The cleanup coincided with the 41st International Coastal Cleanup, a global initiative that encourages communities to work together to protect and restore oceans and coastal areas.
Organizers said the activity was more than an effort to remove garbage from the shoreline. It was also an opportunity for participants to reflect on their responsibility to care for creation and to recognize nature not merely as a source of resources but as a source of life.
Before the cleanup, participants took part in Shibashi, a series of gentle movements and breathing exercises intended to prepare the body, mind and heart for the activity.
The organizers said the exercise highlighted the importance of mindfulness, attentiveness and unity, qualities they said were also essential to caring for the oceans and the wider environment.
Participants were also invited to reflect on their personal responsibility for the environment and the need to change attitudes and practices toward creation.
The organizers stressed that environmental transformation begins with inner transformation.
“The coastal cleanup is not only about picking up garbage, but about facing our responsibility, cleaning the shoreline, our conscience and our habits,” they said.
They urged participants to regard care for creation as an ongoing commitment, noting that the environment being protected today will be inherited by future generations.
Sto. Niño Cathedral rector Fr. Andy Peter Lubi expressed gratitude to the individuals, groups, organizations, government agencies and institutions that supported and participated in the initiative.
The organizers called on the community to continue caring for waterways and coastal areas as part of a broader commitment to care for creation.
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
Latest News
