EcoWaste: Keeping Nazarene route clean ‘an act of devotion’

Keep the feast holy—and garbage-free.

An environmental watchdog on Friday appealed to the millions of devotees expected to join the annual procession of the image of the Black Nazarene of Quiapo to avoid turning their route into one long garbage dump.

“Keeping the surroundings garbage-free—from Luneta to Quiapo and all the way to our communities—is not only a civic duty but an act of worship and devotion as well,” Tin Vergara of EcoWaste Coalition said in a statement.

“We appeal to the faithful followers of the Black Nazarene to be His reliable stewards on earth, protecting Quiapo and its environs from trash, abuse and destruction,” she said.

The group also urged Catholic priests to include this reminder in their homilies and instill a sense of responsibility among the devotees.

Cigarette filters, bamboo skewers, food wrappers and plastic bottles littered the six-kilometer processional route last year, according to the group’s Basura Patrollers.

“We hope that the widespread littering last year, particularly in the vicinity of Quiapo Church, will not see a sad repeat this time around,” Vergara said.

For a cleaner and safer fiesta, the EcoWaste Coalition urged the predominately male devotees not to smoke, spit and urinate on the streets.

The group also advised the faithful to return used containers and bamboo skewers to the vendors, throw their garbage into designated bins and bring reusable bags if they wish to buy souvenir items.

The EcoWaste also advised vendors to pack food in biodegradable materials like banana leaves and paper, use reusable containers for drinks, and bring own sacks for collecting trash and leftovers.

In a briefing on Thursday, National Parks and Development Council Executive Director Juliet Villegas called on the Manila police to secure Rizal Park and prohibit vendors from entering the vigil area at Quirino Grandstand.

The Jan. 9 grand procession will start from the grandstand around 7 a.m. and make its way to Quiapo church via 23 streets in Manila.

Motorists are advised to brace themselves for heavy traffic in the following areas: Roxas Boulevard, north and southbound lanes of Bonifacio Drive to T. M. Kalaw; southbound lane of Quezon Boulevard from Recto to Palanca; Lerma from P. Campa to Quezon Boulevard; westbound lanes of Taft Avenue/Finance and Lagusnilad/P. Burgos; Freedom Triangle northbound lane of P.Burgos/Taft Avenue; Villegas/N. A. Lopez streets, and southbound lane of 25th Street/Bonifacio Drive. Erika Sauler