‘Put an end to the fossil fuel era,’ say bishops at climate conference

Flooding in Marikina City during Habagat / NJ Viehland photos

A group of bishops attending an international climate-change conference in Peru called upon the international community “to keep the global temperature increase below 1.5 degree Celsius, relative to pre-industrial levels, in order to protect frontline communities suffering from the impacts of climate change.”

“Central to this is to put an end to the fossil fuel era, phasing out fossil fuel emissions and phasing in 100% renewables with sustainable energy access for all,” the bishops said.

Xth FABC Plenary Assembly, Dec. 2012, Xuan Loc, Vietnam / NJ Viehland Photos

The nine bishops include representatives of the Latin American Bishops Conference (CELAM), the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM), the Federation of Asian Bishops Conferences (FABC), and the French and Brazilian bishops’ conferences.

“We express…

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Interview: Franciscan Sister Crecensia Lucero, human rights defender

[updated June 21, 4:21 a.m.]

Sister Crecensia Lucero SFIC (left) marched to campaign for protection of human rights to avoid repetition of abuses during and around the martial law period 1972-1981. Photo Courtesy of Philippine Center for Human Rights/Task Force Detainees https://www.facebook.com/TaskForceDetaineesofthePhilippines

Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception Sister Crecensia Lucero reflected on her ministry with victims of human rights violations spanning more than 40 years. The journey she traced is marked by work she and young sisters and lay partners did to serve needs of political prisoners and their families during years when the country was placed under military rule (1972-1981) and years of “restored democracy” that followed. The road has brought her to an expanded ministry thriving in  partnerships with farmers struggling to transform exploitative systems, indigenous peoples and members of other sectors collaborating to end people’s suffering due to various forms of “injustice ” around Asia.

In an interview with Global Sisters Report (GSR), Sister Lucero explained challenges, successes and “heartaches” in the history of Task Force Detainees of the Philippines (TFD). As co-chair, she describes how evolving challenges are impacting perspectives and strategies of her social justice ministry and the charism and mission of her congregation. Beyond words and ideas, however, she demonstrated these concepts and strategies in various dialogues and training seminars GSR covered earlier in the year.

A fact-finding mission representing Christian groups visited the site of an attack on the convent of Father Jose Francisco Talaban of Infanta Prelature in June 2010 presented to the Commission on Human Rights and human rights advocates, including Sr. Cresencia Lucero initial information they gained from probing groups and individuals in Casiguran town, Aurora province where some indigenous people and other groups are opposing the development of an economic zone. NJ Viehland Photos

Sister Crecensia Lucero SFIC (right, in habit) witnessed the presentation last year of report of an ecumenical fact finding mission on residents’ opposition to the planned APECO export processing zone development project in Casiguran, Quezon to the Commission on Human Rights in Quezon City, northeast of Manila. By NJ Viehland

Read full interview published by GSR. GSR is a project of National Catholic Reporter that reports how consecrated women participate in the mission of the Church.

The Association of Major Religious Superiors in the Philippines (AMRSP) established TFD in 1974 to assist political prisoners when the “dictatorship” of the late President Ferdinand Marcos banned organizations. TFD provided moral spiritual, legal and material support to prisoners and their families. Franciscan Sister Mariani Dimaranan, an ex-political detainee, directed the organization until 1989, when Lucero took over as director. Sister  Dimaranan continued as chair until her death in 2005 at the age of 81 years.

In 2012, Sister Lucero was again nominated co-chair of the Task Force’s Board of Trustees with Order of Carmelites Philippines Father Christian “Toots” Buenafe up to this year.

 

Social dev’t. movement anniversary shines spotlight on charcoal making project

Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle discusses with Cardinal Gaudencio Rosales, his predecessor as archbishop of Manila in the sidelines of a plenary assembly of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines in Manila / Dave Viehland Photo published with permission.

            Pondo ng Pinoy the movement began by Manila Archbishop Emeritus Gaudencio B. Cardinal Rosales in the Archdiocese of Manila marks its 10^th year by showcasing the Eco-Uling project that gives livelihood to persons with disability and that promotes the environment. The project produces charcoal briquette from a combination of water lily, coconut husk and shell.

 

            The celebration for its 10^th year on June 12, 2014 will be held at the community where the Eco-Uling project is located in Taguig City. Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle leads visitors at the project site where there will be a demonstration of how the unique charcoal briquettes are produced starting at 8 a.m., followed by a program at the Ed Carlos Property, C6 Road, Brgy. Calsada, Taguig City. Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle will celebrate the Mass at 11 a.m.  About one thousand delegates from 21 Pondo ng Pinoy member diocses are expected to attend the celebration.

Charcoal maker in small home industry in San Isidro Parish, Bagong Silangan, Novaliches diocese on Good Friday 2014 – NJ Viehland Photos

 

            Some 20 persons with disability and their young Muslim friends run the project, from the gathering of the materials, to the technical production and marketing. With this project, Pondo ng Pinoy has enabled the disabled persons to earn a living by themselves. Also, the project is able to utilize water lily which causes problems in the waterways because of its proliferation that leads to clogging and flooding especially during the rainy season.

 

            Pondo ng Pinoy initially granted the project Php300,000 (US$6,880) and gave an additional Php280,000 to expand the operation.

 

            Cardinal Rosales saw in Pondo ng Pinoy a way by which every person, “no matter how poor, no matter how humble, the freedom to give, to help and live fully.” This is because Pondo ng Pinoy aims to cultivate the culture of giving and helping another, through saving as little as 25 centavos a day as an act of love for the poor and as symbol of one’s good works. The money, Cardinal Rosales said, would be meaningless without the love that is generated from saving it. Cardinal Rosales summed up the Pondo ng Pinoy principle in this motto, “Anumang magaling kahit maliit basta’t malimit ay patungong langit.” That is, small ordinary acts can accomplish great things if done or given by many, frequently and consistently pooled together for a common vision.

A March 27-30 nationwide survey of the Social Weather Stations found that 17.8% of the respondents — equivalent to an estimated 3.9 million families — claimed to have experienced having nothing to eat in the past three months. – Ed Gerlock photo, published with permission.

 

            To date Pondo ng Pinoy has sponsored more than 300 projects on health, livelihood and development, alternative learning, housing, and Hapag-Asa (subsidy) feeding program, amounting to more 200 million.

 

            Pondo ng Pinoy movement operates through the Pondo ng Pinoy Community Foundation. It has as members, aside from the Archdiocese of Manila, 18 dioceses, two apostolic vicariates, and the Military Ordinariate. 

Revisiting pope’s remarks as World Economic Forum on East Asia carries on

 

Pope Francis’ remarks on a poster from mediamatters.org is like a “gentle reminder” to our economic leaders as they discuss developments and directions of Asian economies in coming years at the World Economic Forum in Manila.

 The text comes from his interview with Andrea Tornielli last December for Vatican Insider titled “Never be afraid of tenderness”

Pope Francis spoke about Christmas, hunger in the world, the suffering of children, the reform of the Roman Curia, women cardinals, the Institute for the Works of Religion (IOR), and the upcoming visit to the Holy Land 

Read the full interview here

 The Philippines, which has been cited to have demonstrated greater economic growth than expected despite calamities, is hosting  the WEF from May 21 to 23 at the Makati Shangri-La Hotel. The Forum centers on the theme “Leveraging Growth for Equitable Progress.”

Economic Forum discussions are streaming live here

This previous post on Fair Trade might add insight as well as this article titled Fair Trade must offer hope, transform coffee industry – producer

 

 

 

In pictures – ‘Nazareth Workshop’ sews together fabric and workers’ lives

There’s more to these albs and clerical shirts than meets the eye.

The Mandaluyong City branch of Talleres de Nazaret (Nazareth workshops) specializes in producing clerical shirts, Polo shirts and school uniforms, and helps to sell albs primarily produced in the Cebu City workshop. – NJ Viehland Photos

They are created through a careful and deep process of nuns, with a team of trainers, teaching workers, mostly women, how to sew with their hands and using various kinds of sewing machines…

Talleres de Nazaret (Nazareth workshops) run by Siervas de San Jose nuns in Mandaluyong City has 34 single and special machines including some with two needles for sewing garters. Workers, mostly women, are required to wear masks mainly to protect them from inhaling loose fiber and other elements harmful to their lungs. – NJ Viehland Photos

how to draw and cut patterns, how to cut fabric …

Master cutter in action at the Mandaluyong City branch of Talleres de Nazaret run by Siervas of San Jose nuns that was working to stay on schedule for school uniform production for school year 2014-2015 that starts in June. – NJ Viehland photos

 

In the Mandaluyong City branch of Talleres de Nazaret (Nazareth workshops) run by Siervas de San Jose nuns, workers are taught to sew a complete garment so that if someone is not around, the job moves ahead, and also to enable them to produce a complete product. Workers who have sewed in garment factors told Catholic In Asia they were trained only to sew parts of a garment, like sleeves or collars to protect the company’s business. For these parts of the garment, factories pay them per piece. Sister Lucy Camiring on April 30 discussed with a leading seamstress the status of their job of sewing school uniforms. – NJ Viehland Photos

 

Project development and planning are among skills that nuns hone to enable workers in Talleres de Nazaret (Nazareth workshops) to stand on their own and collaborate to sustain the workshop. Their production meetings turn out plans and schedules that are written on a whiteboard in the shop. – NJ Viehland Photos

Sister Lucy Camiring and fellow Siervas de San Jose nuns and aspirants who take turns in working with the workers in the five Talleres de Nazaret (Nazareth workshops) in the country. – NJ Viehland Photos

Some products require washing normally done by hand in the Mandaluyong City branch of Talleres de Nazaret (Nazareth workshops) to be more economical and provide people work. – NJ Viehland Photos

Margie Rose Butlig (right) takes charge of production in the Mandaluyong branch of Talleres de Nazaret (Nazareth workshop) run by Siervas de San Jose to where Sister Lucy Camiring (left) has served after returning from 9 years in mission in Papua New Guinea. – NJ Viehland Photos

On the eve of the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker May 1 Margie Rose reflected on the role of Siervas de San Jose Sisters in her own and her family’s life. “They have been to me like Saint Joseph was to Jesus – only they are nuns,” the worker in charge of production said. To understand why click on ‘Nazareth Workshop’ sews together fabric and workers lives”

Pizza Party at Philippines Embassy for Goldman winning priest

Here are excerpts from the update from Goldman prize winner Fr Edwin Gariguez

Today April 20, 2012 (US Time), I was interviewed in the Voice of America – both for video and radio recording.

In the afternoon, I went to the Philippine Embassy to honor their invitation, and I met with Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. After my audience with him, we had a pizza party with the rest of the Embassy staff.

The Ambassador handed me the congratulatory letter, signed by the Ambassador himself. The last paragraph of it reads:

“I am sure that winning awards were the last thing on your mind when you began your campaign against destructive mining in Mindoro and yet, your work is now being acknowledged internationally. This recognition will serve your campaign well and will bring greater awareness to the plight of the people of Mindoro and to the battle against destructive mining.

More than this, however, I believe that your story will give courage to others – to communities and to individuals alike – to face with courage, the many challenges that come upon them daily.”

With this, the Goldman award activities will come to a close. I, with my brother, will now go to New Jersey for some personal visits. Then I will proceed to attend to NASSA concerns – I will visit CRS office in Baltimore and will also proceed to Minnesota for the “Feed the Children” program

source emailed update from Fr. Gariguez.