Avoid littering next time, Nazarene devotees told

Environmentalists urged devotees to avoid littering the next time the Black Nazarene feast celebration comes around.

EcoWaste Coalition, a group campaigning for “litter free Philippines” has lamented the mountains of trash left around in the aftermath of the January 9 celebration.

The group bemoaned that the devotees’ spiritual fervor failed to show in their care for the environment.

Coalition president Roy Alvarez said the devotees’ pious conviction is yet to be translated in their concern for their surroundings.

“We again witnessed a breathtaking manifestation of Filipino people’s spirituality and we salute the devotees for their pious conviction. Unhappily, the mass veneration of the Black Nazarene has yet to transform into a more caring bond with the environment as evidenced by the pervasive littering during the feast, ” said Alvarez.

Litter of various kinds covered the open area at the Quirino Grandstand in Luneta where the overnight vigil was held on January 8.

In Quiapo, the garbage situation was even worse, as residents, visitors and hawkers threw away unwanted stuff all over the area, including Styrofoam containers, according to the group.

Eco volunteers have cleared the area of various discards, including plastic bags and styrofoam food containers that created 15 mounds of garbage.

The group said it hopes the devotees will be more concerned of the environment when they celebrate the feast next year.

Data from the city government shows that “garbage collection in the Quiapo area rises to 36 tons per day during the two-day fiesta period of which 85 percent are reportedly biodegradable like food leftovers and kitchen scraps.”

Posted in: Soild Waste