2 April 2026, Quezon City.  The EcoWaste Coalition, an advocate for environmental protection and sustainability, called on the faithful to honor Holy Week by embracing their role as stewards of Mother Earth, avoiding acts that degrade and damage the planet, such as littering.

Following the environmental- and social justice-themed Via Crucis it co-organized on Holy Tuesday with its community and church partners in Tondo, Manila, the group will send Basura Patrollers to some pilgrimage sites on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday to observe practices that protect or harm the environment.

Lenten visitors are advised not to leave any litter behind as they visit churches and religious sites to reflect, pray, and find spiritual renewal.  “Pilgrimage sites are not dumpsites,” the EcoWaste Coalition emphasized.

In past years, unchecked littering has been observed as millions join the Alay-Lakad to Antipolo City, home of the International Shrine of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage, as a form of panata or sacred vow, for thanksgiving, or to seek forgiveness and blessings.

Rampant littering has also been observed at the Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto Shrine in San Jose del Monte City, which features life-size Stations of the Cross where people reflect and share in the sufferings that Jesus endured in His journey to Calvary.

As “cleanliness is next to godliness,” the EcoWaste Coalition appealed to the faithful to “leave only footprints,” not trash in pilgrimage sites and public spaces, as they recall and partake in the passion and death of Christ the Redeemer.

The EcoWaste Coalition invited all pilgrims to heed the following reminders:

1.  Bring water in a reusable container to avoid buying water in disposable plastic bags and bottles, which often end up as litter.

2.  Avoid single-use plastics; take your meals in eateries that serve food and water in reusable containers.

3.  Carry in, carry out.  Carry back items you have carried into places of prayer and pilgrimage.

4.  Bring a reusable carry bag for “pasalubong,” say no to plastic bags.

5.  Dispose of your discards in proper bins, or bring them home for segregation, composting, recycling, or disposal.

6.  Keep the air clean and your lungs healthy: smoke not, vape not.

Finally, the EcoWaste Coalition urged Lenten pilgrims to reflect on the timely statement of Antipolo Bishop Ruperto Cruz Santos on the occasion of Earth Hour last Saturday.

“Caring for our common home is not merely an option, but a sacred responsibility entrusted to us by God.  Creation is a gift, and we are called to be its faithful stewards,” the bishop said.  “We are called to ‘switch on’ a way of life that honors God’s creation every day — through mindful choice, responsible consumption, and a renewed sense of care for the poor and the vulnerable who are most affected by ecological degradation.”

Reference: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1DS1JcaDD4/ (Message of Bishop Ruperto Cruz Santos for Earth Hour 2026)