Catholic bishops back Senate probe on mining, quarrying

San Carlos Bishop Gerardo Alminaza CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Caritas Philippines, the social action arm of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), is supporting Sen. Risa Hontiveros’ call for a Senate investigation on the environmental and social impact of mining and quarrying activities nationwide ahead of the observance of Earth Day on April 22.

San Carlos Bishop Gerardo Alminaza, vice president of Caritas Philippines, pointed to the critical need to address the detrimental effects of such activities on communities and ecosystems.

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“As stewards of the Earth, we have a moral imperative to protect our environment for future generations. Recent tragedies and environmental disruptions linked to mining and quarrying underscore the need for a thorough investigation,” he said in a statement on Wednesday.

According to Alminaza, the Senate resolution aligns with the CBCP position on climate change in 2015, which stresses Christians’ intergenerational responsibility to safeguard the environment and echoing Pope Francis’ encyclical “Laudato Si.” —DEXTER CABALZA