BORONGAN CITY, EASTERN SAMAR – The bishops of Samar and Leyte urged the faithful to find ways to protect the environment to prevent flooding that has already wreaked havoc on many areas in Eastern Visayas.

In a pastoral letter titled “Mother Nature is speaking. Are we listening,” the bishops expressed alarm over the severe floods, the worst ever, that occurred recently in Samar and Leyte.

The bishops also called on the people to look deeply into and discern the causes of the recent calamity.

Aside from the incessant rains, the letter said the depleted forests, denuded mountains and natural landscapes that resulted from irresponsible logging and mining have exacerbated the floods.

“No matter how the truth hurts, by necessity we must point out to loggers, miners (small-scale or large-scale), some unscrupulous politicians, businessmen and irresponsible citizens among us who prefer personal profit to common benefit,” the letter said.

Responsible mining

It also noted that logging and mining only gave minimal and temporary employment to the poor while some concessions were granted under dubious circumstances.

The bishops noted that, over the last 100 years, responsible mining was non-existent in the Philippines while the results of irresponsible mining are visible and formed permanent scars.

The pastoral letter is expected to be read this Sunday in the parishes of the different dioceses of Samar and Leyte.

Archbishop Jose Palma of Palo, Bishops Crispin Varquez of Borongan, Isabelo Abarquez of Calbayog, Emmanuel Trance of Catarman and Filomeno Bactol of Naval signed the pastoral letter.

Borongan Bishop Crispin Varquez, however, commended the prompt response of provincial leaders, national agencies and other like-minded groups and individuals.

This is not the first time that the Samar and Leyte bishops have aired their collective stand about environmental concerns.

Spearheaded by former Borongan Bishop Leonardo Medroso, the bishops of Samar and Leyte have also issued statements on the first Samar flood in 1989, the flash flood in Ormoc in 1991, the island-wide caravan that called for the creation of Samar Island Natural Park in 2003 and at the Senate hearing for the lifting of the logging moratorium in 2005.