EcoWaste Coalition’s Community and Church Partners Re-Enact Christ’s Sufferings in Via Crucis Held Amid Crisis in Waste, Oil, and Corruption

31 March 2026, Tondo, Manila. Under the scorching sun, some 400 people donning black veils and buri hats joined the environmental- and social justice-themed Via Crucis (Way of the Cross) held today by members and partners of the EcoWaste Coalition in Tondo, Manila, site of the proposed Waste-to-Energy (WtE) incinerator opposed by affected communities and environmental health groups. They commemorated the passion and death of Jesus Christ, moving from station to station, praying, reflecting, and singing, beginning at the Parish of the Risen Christ in Smokey Mountain and ending at San Pablo Apostol Parish.

Carrying this year’s theme, “Kalbaryo ng Tao 2026: Panaghoy at Sigaw sa Gitna ng Krisis sa Basura, Langis, at Korapsyon”(“Calvary of the People 2026: Lamentation and Screaming Amid the Crisis of Waste, Oil, and Corruption), the activity mirrored the sufferings of Christ alongside the lived realities of Filipino communities burdened by waste pollution, rising oil prices, and systemic corruption.  This year’s Via Crucis (Stations of the Cross) drew attention to the burning issues affecting the people, integrating issue-based reflections, symbolic visuals, and calls to action.

Building on last year’s “Dasal at Aksyon: Alay kay Inang Kalikasan,” (“Prayer and Action: Offering to Mother Nature”) which mobilized communities across seven barangays in Tondo, this year’s Via Crucis deepened the call for both prayer and collective action, highlighting today’s social and environmental issues, which continue to crucify the poor, vulnerable, and voiceless.

Among the issues tackled were the ineffective enforcement of the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, out-of-control production and disposal of single-use plastics, the deadly landfill incidents in Cebu and Rizal, the threats posed by WtE incinerator projects to health, environment, shelter, and livelihood, the energy emergency exacerbated by the conflict in the Middle East and their impacts on the people’s quality of life, and the systemic corruption, which aggravates the effects of the climate crisis and widens poverty.

“Ang Daan ng Krus ay hindi lamang pag-alala sa sakripisyo ni Kristo, kundi paanyaya na makiisa sa paghihirap ng kapwa at ng kalikasan. Sa gitna ng krisis, ang pananampalataya ay dapat humantong sa malasakit at pagkilos,” said Jose Torres, Ecology Ministry Coordinator of San Pablo Apostol Parish. (“The Way of the Cross is not only a remembrance of Christ’s sacrifice, but an invitation to unite in the suffering of others and nature. In the midst of crisis, faith must lead to concern and action.”)

“Hindi na namin kayang pasanin ang bigat ng krisis mula sa taas-presyo hanggang sa basurang walang maayos na solusyon. Ang Kalbaryo ng Tao ay kuwento ng araw-araw naming laban at panawagan sa tunay na aksyon mula sa pamahalaan,” Samahan ng Mamamayan Zone One Tondo  (SM ZOTO) President Orly Gallano affirmed. (“We can no longer bear the weight of the crisis, from price hikes to garbage, without a proper solution. The Calvary of the People is the story of our daily struggle and a call for real action from the government.”)

“Ang mga maling solusyon tulad ng WtE incinerator  ay lalo lamang nagpapalalim sa krisis na dinaranas ng mamamayan, lalo na ng mga mahihirap at walang boses. Sa halip na sunugin ang basura, dapat nating ipatupad nang buo ang RA 9003 at itaguyod ang mga sistemang makakalikasan at makatao,” EcoWaste Coalition National Coordinator Aileen Lucero said. (“Wrong solutions like the WtE incinerator only deepen the crisis suffered by the people, especially the poor and voiceless. Instead of burning waste, we should fully implement RA 9003 and promote environmentally friendly and humane systems.”)

Joining the call for prayer and action were women and men, including the youth, from faith-based groups, the informal waste sector, and urban poor communities, including the San Pablo Apostol Parish, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Manila Integral Ecology Ministry, MARCEA Waste Workers’ Association, Samahan ng mga Mangangalakal ng Scrap sa Capulong, Kongreso ng Pagkakaisa ng Maralita ng Lungsod (KPML), Nagkakaisa at Nagdadamayang Marala Organization (NANAMOR), Pagkakaisa ng Mamamayan ng Barangay Dampalit (PMBD), Samahang Maralita sa Temporary Housing (SMTH), SM ZOTO, and other community representatives.

“With our collective Via Crucis, we hope to make visible the interconnected crises shaping the daily struggles of the Filipinos and amplify the people’s cry for just and enduring solutions rooted in solidarity, accountability, and care for creation,” the EcoWaste Coalition said.