After several months of preparation, the Laudato si Conference that was organized by the Ecclesiastical Province of Manila was held on February 2-3, 2018 at the De La Salle University, Manila.  Our Diocese of San Pablo was lucky to have the opportunity to be a part of the core team of organizers.  We brought a team of 29 volunteers composed of presenters, videographers, photographers, transcribers and reporters.  The main emcee of the event was our own Vicar General, Monsignor Jerry Bitoon.

Day 1 started with a welcome message from Brother Raymundo Suplido of the Christian Brothers.  They provided the venue for the event which had 1,200 participants from different parts of the country.  This was followed by Bishop Mylo Hubert Vergara, DD, who spoke about the background and objectives of the conference. The theme of the conference is "Ugnayang Buhay Para Kay Inang Kalikasan" (or Interconnectedness of Life for Mother Earth).  The four objectives of the conference are:  1) Awareness, 2) Partnership, 3) Praxis/Practices and 4) Institutionalization.

A concelebrated mass was the highlight of the morning.  The homilist was Bishop Edgardo Juanich, D.D., whose homily was read for him by Fr. Ed Pariño.  He gave us a situationer on the Province of Palawan which is the largest protected area in the Philippines.  He spoke of the destruction of the land and seas.  In short, he said that the reason for the challenges we face is because of greed.  Therefore all concerned sectors must work together on initiatives to promote and raise awareness on environmental advocacies.

Our head of the Archdiocese of Manila, Cardinal Chito Tagle, delivered the keynote address which focused on the themes of the papal encyclical Laudato si which invited us to see the connections of all creation.  We are challenged to live by the teachings of Laudato si in our actions and choices for the benefit of future generations.  

Dr. Antonio Laviña spoke about Climate Change and proposed strategies to mitigate and adapt to its effects.  He shared his experiences in dealings and negotiations of international agreements.  He said our biggest challenge is the reduction of our carbon footprint.  We need to hit the compromise target of 1.5 to 2 degrees decided upon in the Paris Agreement.  In another plenary session, Atty. Antonio Oposa, Jr. spoke about Environmental Laws.  He focused on the Supreme Court Manila Bay Mandamus, its Benefits and Challenges.

Day 2 started with Bishop Pablo Virgilio David presenting the output of the survey conducted prior to the Laudato si conference.   It was interesting to point out that there was a comparatively high level of lack of acquaintance for Laudato si.  Notwithstanding, those who took part in the survey identified the major environmental problems as follows: solid waste management, flooding, water/air/noise pollution, factory emissions, siltation and landslides. They did note that solutions to these ecological problems were initiated by the government, churches and NGOs. 

Senator Cynthia Villar spoke on Government policies and approaches to ensure environmental sustainability, food safety and security.    She said her guiding philosophy is "We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors.  We borrow it from our children."  She urged us to take the warnings of the experts seriously and to apply what we know and change our lifestyles.

Mr. Nadarev M. Saño gave an NGOs perspective in the light of Laudato Si.  He said "the cry of the earth is the cry of the poor" and that there is no value to any solution if there is avarice, arrogance and apathy.  Mr. Saño is the Executive Director of Greenpeace Southeast Asia.  Another speaker was Atty. Robert Chan who gave us a summary of environmental laws in the Philippines.  I can say we do not lack environmental laws as we have many covering all possible areas, but our problem in the enforcement of those laws.

There were breakout sessions in the afternoons and I was able to share about our best practices in our City of the Seven Lakes together with our Monsignor Jerry Bitoon and one of our volunteers, Keno Moreno.

Our last speaker was part of the Eucharistic Celebration where His Excellency Archbishop Gabriele Giordano Caccia, Papal Nuncio to the Philippines pretty much summarized what we heard in the past two days of the conference.  He mentioned the four dimensions in every existence bring (1) our relation with God, the Creator, (2) our relation with others, (3) our relation with the common home and (4) the relation between us and ourselves. This reminds us our interconnectedness with each other.  The Papal Nuncio also reminded us that the world is small and what we do in one place will have a consequence in another place.