Filipino policemen raise their hands during security preparations for the visit of Pope Francis at the Cuneta Astrodome which they are using as temporary barracks in suburban Pasay, south of Manila, Philippines on Monday, Jan. 12, 2015. Policemen securing the Pope were advised not to take selfies. AP PHOTO/AARON FAVILA
MANILA, Philippines–For the police, don’t take selfies, and for the faithful, don’t leave a carpet of trash.
The advisories in connection with Pope Francis’ visit this week came from the Philippine National Police and a waste watchdog.
EcoWaste Coalition fears that trash may carpet venues of the Pope’s public Masses after seeing yet again the unrestrained littering done during the recently concluded Black Nazarene feast at Quirino Grandstand and around Quiapo Church in Manila.
The PNP is discouraging police personnel from taking selfies while on security detail for the visit.
Policemen should stick to their mission first of securing Pope Francis and the people around him, instead of engaging in frivolity like taking photographs of themselves.
“They are discouraged to do that. Their job is to secure the Pope. This is not a show where you can go and take selfies,” said Chief Supt. Wilben Mayor, the PNP spokesman.
This unofficial policy will apply to selfies either with the Pope himself or in the venues where the policemen will be assigned.
In a press briefing in Camp Crame on Monday, the PNP reminded its personnel to think of their duty as part of the security deployment as a rare privilege and opportunity to take part in history.
Mayor pointed out that police personnel at the front lines, even though tired and weary, must take pride in being part of history, particularly in having a once-in-a-lifetime chance to secure the Pope.
Pope Francis is scheduled to arrive in the country on Jan. 15 and will undertake a number of public engagements in Manila and Leyte until Jan. 19, the day of his departure.
25,000 police personnel
Earlier, the PNP said it was deploying 25,000 police personnel to venues where Pope Francis is expected to hold his activities. The PNP is in charge of perimeter and venue security while the Presidential Security Group is in charge of close-in security.
EcoWaste Coalition urged those who will attend the Pope’s public Masses in Tacloban City on Jan. 17 and in Manila’s Rizal Park on Jan. 18 to refrain from throwing trash on the ground and to keep their trash until they can dispose of it properly.
“Let it not be said that the Filipino people rolled out a carpet of trash, instead of a green or red carpet, to welcome the Pope,” EcoWaste Coalition coordinator Aileen Lucero said.
Protect environment
She reminded the public that Pope Francis had repeatedly spoken about the need to protect the environment from further degradation.
Unless the people themselves deliberately avoid littering, no waste management system will work to prevent massive piles of trash from dirtying the Mass venues, according to Lucero.
“We appeal to the general public to take the Pope’s message to heart and be the first to defend the environment from the throw-away culture that is dirtying and wasting the earth’s diminishing resources,” Lucero said.
“Without public cooperation, the venues for the papal gatherings and the surrounding areas will quickly turn into instant dumps and toilets as the faithful flock to see the Pope,” she said.
Dos and don’ts
The group offered the following advice to avoid leaving behind trash during the papal activities:
- Eat at home to avoid eating out at the venue.
- If essential, pack a simple, waste-free meal in a reusable container.
- Bring water in a reusable jug instead of buying bottled water or beverage on site.
- Carry a litter bag in your pocket as this would come in handy if there is no trash bin nearby.
- Bring a foldable, reusable bag for things you may want to bring home from the event.
- Decline brochures, flyers and handouts that you will not read and keep.
- Do not smoke a cigarette, particularly in Rizal Park and in other no-smoking venues.
- Never litter, not even a single candy wrapper.
- Support waste reduction efforts in the venue and persuade others to do the same.
Mayor noted the Filipinos’ penchant for taking selfies, but he pointed out that this quirk should not be more important than a policeman’s duty.
“You went there for what? You went there for a mission. You were given the privilege to be part of history to secure the papal visit, then you will take a selfie?” he said of the PNP personnel.
Mayor reminded policemen that their intentions during the papal visit “must be aligned with the purpose,” which is Pope Francis’ safety.
He appealed to the policemen to be professional, especially in the middle of a historic event like the papal visit.
“They should think of it this way: My mission is to secure the papal visit. Even without a selfie, I will be proud that I was part of the security detail, I was part of history,” said the PNP spokesman.
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