Borongan Diocese to Catholics: Reject destructive mining, protect mangroves

The Diocese of Borongan on Sunday urged Filipino Catholics to oppose destructive mining and protect mangroves in commemoration of the 13th anniversary of Super Typhoon Yolanda's devastation of Eastern Visayas.

"Reject destructive mining, plant and protect trees and mangroves, reduce waste, prepare our families and parishes for disasters, support those most vulnerable, and make our voices heard for just and responsible policies,” Fr. Jan Michael Gadicho, Borongas diocesan administrator, said in a message.

“Let us begin in our homes, parishes, schools, and communities,” he added.

Borongan City, the provincial capital of Eastern Samar, suffered significant damage and casualties in the wake of Yolanda.

Gadicho further said Catholics should remember Yolanda's impact not with “horror and fear," but with hope, wisdom, and a renewed commitment to respond by seeing, judging, and acting.

“Let us open our eyes to the suffering of creation and of the poor: our islands exploited by mining, stronger storms, rising seas, eroded coasts, destroyed livelihoods, and families who must rebuild again and again,” Gadicho said.

He added that Mother Nature is a “gift” entrusted by God and not a “possession to be exploited.”

“The cry of the earth is also a cry for justice and stewardship. Neglecting creation and neglecting the poor are one and the same failure of love,” Gadicho said.

Considered the country's deadliest typhoon on record, Yolanda struck the Philippines on November 8, 2013, leaving 7,350 people dead or missing.

READ: Why was Typhoon Yolanda so deadly?

Factors that contributed to the staggering death toll included wind gusts exceeding 305 kilometers (190 miles) per hour at first landfall, low-lying islands, inadequate warnings, extreme poverty, and the failure to evacuate. —Mariel Celine Serquiña/RF, GMA News