Bishop who protected environment, fought gambling retires

Bishop Carlito Cenzon (left) is a fan of the comic book character “Charlie Brown.” —VINCENT CABREZA

BAGUIO CITY—Bishop Emeritus Carlito Cenzon, who fought to protect the Mt. Sto. Tomas forest reservation from an illegal road project allegedly spearheaded by a former Baguio official, bade farewell to the Baguio diocese on Thursday.

Mt. Sto. Tomas is now covered by a permanent environmental protection order following a 2014 petition for a Writ of Kalikasan filed by Cenzon, Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas and residents of Baguio and Tuba town in Benguet province.

The forest reservation became a tourist destination after a TV network used the area as location of “Sitio La Presa,” a fictional village popularized by a highly rated soap opera.

Cenzon, 77, would be replaced today by Bishop Victor Barnuevo Bendico.

He was honored with Cordillera songs and dances at the Baguio Cathedral (also known as Our Lady of Atonement Cathedral) and received citations from the Benguet provincial government and the city government.

Devotees also gave testimonials about Cenzon’s life as a priest and bishop which he spent in the mountain communities of the Cordillera.

The citation read by Benguet Gov. Cresencio Pacalso credited Cenzon for his role as environmental crusader when he petitioned the Supreme Court to protect Mt. Sto. Tomas.

The writ petition sought to stop a 2-kilometer road excavation scarring the mountainside that destroyed 306 trees and 455 saplings and polluted the Amliang Creek, the source of water for several Baguio and Tuba villages.

The thanksgiving program did not touch on Cenzon’s other crusade—an end to gambling. In December last year, Cenzon joined other churches in urging Baguio Mayor Mauricio Domogan not to issue business permits to online gaming operations here.

What Catholic devotees here discussed were Cenzon’s efforts to make religion accessible to upland folk.

A supporter related how a young Cenzon in 1966 encouraged villagers in Natonin town in Mountain Province to sing and dance to praise God.

“I was still in high school and we were so pious then. We were always quiet and we did not understand the church hymns taught us by the previous priests,” said a woman from Natonin.

Cenzon walked for 60 km to reach Natonin and formed a glee club, she said. Soon, villagers learned they could have fun during Mass after Cenzon taught them what the hymns meant and showed them “we could shout them out when we sang,” said the woman.

Vic Agcaoili, Cenzon’s friend since grade school, credited the bishop’s social conscience for a project to rebuild the children’s park and build fences in Burnham Park to stop the park’s use for the drug trade and as haven of alcoholics.

But it was in Kalinga province where Cenzon found his moorings. He was its bishop from 1992 to 2002 when he was reassigned to Baguio.

During a light moment at the thanksgiving program, Cenzon admitted he used to fancy becoming the comic strip character “Charlie Brown,” liked the physique of actor and former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and would have changed his first name to “Tarzan.”