Eco group shares tips for an earth-friendly Holy Week

Ecological group EcoWaste Coalition over the weekend appealed to Filipinos to keep the coming Holy Week earth-friendly, giving six suggestions on how to keep the week pro-environment. The group pointed out that an eco-friendly Holy Week was in keeping with Pope Francis's call for Catholics to protect the environment. EcoWaste recalled that the pope called for people to be “protectors of the environment” during his inaugural Mass in the Vatican. “The Holy Week is a timely occasion to affirm our role as stewards of God’s creation. Regardless of your age, gender, job and possession, you can do something real and beautiful to protect the Mother Earth and help her recover from the ill effects of human excesses,” said group vice president Ochie Tolentino. “Let us partake in this common task of protecting our fragile environment from being further degraded, especially during the Holy Week and beyond,” she added. Tolentino said people can start by consuming responsibly and "not wasting rice, not dropping any litter and not dumping or burning your discards.” For Holy Week, the group suggested six environmentally friendly practices as “acts of penance and reconciliation with the environment.” These include: - Resist single-use, disposable products, such as using a water jug instead of buying bottled water. - Refuse plastic bags and use native bayong and other reusable carry bags at the store or supermarket. - Reject products packed in too much paper or plastic materials. - Reject littering like throwing cigarette butts out of car windows, tossing candy wrappers on the streets, spitting on pavements, and picking up after your dog. - Refrain from driving a car for the Visita Iglesia and other Holy Week activities, and use public transport or just walk instead. - Reduce electricity and water usage. — DVM, GMA News