Fr Leonard E Dollentas
Catholic Bishop Gerardo Alminaza of the Diocese of San Carlos in Negros Occidental (a 2ndclass component city in the province of Negros Occidental, Philippines) has been at the frontline of a crusade for environmental protection in his diocese. He urged the faithful from all walks of life to “take responsibility” and “start acting” conscientiously to make a better living environment for future generations to come. During the 3rd Environment Summit held in Cagayan De Oro City in Northern Mindanao, the bishop said: “We take responsibility as well and really ask for forgiveness not only from the young generation, of the generation yet to come but also from the rest of God’s creation that we have abused.” The bishop organized the “Withdraw from Coal” campaign. It is a coalition of civil society and faith-based groups demanding the withdrawal of Philippine banks from their coal financing activities.
But Bishop Alminaza also emphasized that beyond dialogues and campaigns, the Church can and should be doing more to demonstrate its seriousness in rejecting fossil fuels. “We cannot just oppose and oppose,” he says. “We have to be more proactive.” The bishop “walked his talk.” In 2017, San Carlos became one of the first dioceses in the country to formally sign a partnership with an energy resource company to install solar panels on the roofs of three of its buildings, including San Carlos Borromeo Cathedral, the seat of the Diocese of San Carlos.
In October 2016, the (Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines) CBCP’s Episcopal Commission on Lay Apostolate, entered a partnership with WeGen Laudato Si Inc. (WeGen Laudato Si or “WGLS” is a special purpose company inspired by Pope Francis’ Encyclical Letter calling for ecological conversion – for all to care for the earth, our common home. WGLS was formed specifically to work closely with the Catholic Church and other religious communities in the Philippines – encouraging these institutions to shift from using conventional sources of energy to clean, renewable energy from the sun.) This company operates in the Philippines and in Vietnam, focusing on renewable energy technologies, particularly solar energy.
The partnership between the company and the Catholic Church is facilitated by Jun Cruz, the director of relations for WeGen Laudato Si and a member of Sangguniang Laiko ng Pilipinas, (Council of the Laity of the Philippines) the implementing arm of CBCP’s Episcopal Commission on Lay Apostolate. In 2016, a memorandum of agreement was signed between the Sangguniang Laiko and WGLS to assist Catholic dioceses interested in using solar power for their buildings. WGLS discussed the proposals with individual bishops, emphasizing the benefits of harnessing the sun’s energy for their power needs. Nationwide, more dioceses are adopting solar energy to power up parish churches, schools, and seminaries. This shows the Church’s commitment to a gradual transition to renewable energy sources. This manifests as well the Church’s call to the government to rethink energy policy amid the climate crisis that threatens the most vulnerable of its people.
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