Thirty-six years ago, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines issued an urgent appeal for the care of creation, entitled “What is Happening to Our Beautiful Land?” It warned of humanity’s troubling path—a path marked by disregard for the gift of creation entrusted to us by God.
In 2015, Pope Francis called for global action in his encyclical, Laudato Si’, urging us to heed the cries of the Earth and the poor. Last year, in Laudate Deum, the Holy Father again emphasized the urgent need to confront the grave challenges presented by climate change. Yet, despite these urgent appeals, humanity seems to have closed its ears, eyes, and hearts to the suffering of our common home.
We have chosen a path of “soulless development,” driven by unchecked greed and an insatiable desire for profit. Despite growing prosperity for some, the divide between the rich and poor widens, deepening the injustices that defy Christ’s call to solidarity and compassion.
Our Earth has been crying out in pain, yet we have turned away. Disasters like Typhoon Ondoy, Super Typhoon Yolanda, and Typhoon Pablo have wrought untold devastation. We mourn, grieve, and call for change each time, yet too often we soon forget and revert to the very practices that contribute to these calamities.
The recent floods from Tropical Storm Kristine that devastated Metro Manila, Bicol, and Batangas are another stark reminder. They show that our vulnerability to climate events will only increase if we fail to mend our ways. Farms and forests have been sacrificed for subdivisions and resorts, minerals extracted from the Earth’s depths at a tremendous cost, and ancestral domains seized for dams and mines.
The Scriptures teach us in Mark 8:36-38: “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? For what can a man give in return for his soul?”
We are called to make a decisive change, to reject this path of destruction, and to choose life and sustainability. Time is running out; we are nearing a point of no return. The glimpses of catastrophe we have already experienced may only be shadows of greater trials to come if we do not act now.
The Catholic Church in the Philippines has taken steps to combat climate change through sustainable practices such as organic farming, establishment of integrated forests, just transition to renewable energy, and simpler lifestyles. However, these efforts alone cannot achieve the transformation needed. Government, businesses, and each of us must urgently do more.
As the Conference of Parties (COP29) meets again to address the climate crisis, we urge our leaders to make bold, decisive changes. There is no more time to delay.
To our government, we implore you to declare a climate emergency and take bold, effective action. To businesses, we ask that you integrate care for the environment into all that you do, ensuring a sustainable future for generations to come. To the Catholic faithful, we invite you to live out your faith by caring for all creation, as our calling demands. To all people of goodwill, let us work together to call for climate justice and a climate emergency declaration.
Let us walk this path together in the spirit of peace and solidarity, for the sake of our common home and all who depend upon it.
In solidarity with all the Filipino faithful affected by climate impacts, we sign this petition:
- Apostolic Vicariate of Bontoc-Lagawe
- Apostolic Vicariate of Calapan
- Apostolic Vicariate of Jolo
- Apostolic Vicariate of Puerto Princesa
- Apostolic Vicariate of San Jose (Occidental Mindoro)
- Apostolic Vicariate of Tabuk
- Apostolic Vicariate of Taytay
- Archdiocesan Social Action Center of Zamboanga
- Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro
- Archdiocese of Capiz
- Archdiocese of Cebu
- Archdiocese of Cotabato
- Archdiocese of Jaro
- Archdiocese of Lipa
- Archdiocese of Manila Integral Ecology Ministry
- Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia
- Archdiocese of Ozamis
- Archdiocese of Palo
- Archdiocese of Tuguegarao
- Archdiocese of Zamboanga
- Caritas Alaminos
- Caritas Bacolod
- Caritas Baguio
- Caritas Bontoc-Lagawe
- Caritas Borongan
- Caritas Capiz
- Caritas Catarman
- Caritas Cotabato
- Caritas Daet
- Caritas Gumaca
- Caritas Marbel
- Caritas Palo
- Caritas Paranaque
- Caritas Sorsogon
- Caritas Tarlac
- Caritas Tuguegarao
- Caritas Virac
- Diocesan Social Action Center – Diocese of Antique
- Diocesan Social Action Center – Diocese of Cabanatuan
- Diocesan Social Action Center – Diocese of Ipil
- Diocesan Social Action Center – Diocese of Kalibo
- Diocesan Social Action Center – Diocese of Legazpi
- Diocesan Social Action Center – Diocese of Maasin
- Diocesan Social Action Center – Diocese of Surigao
- Diocesan Social Action Center – Diocese of Tabuk
- Diocesan Social Action Center – Diocese of Tagum
- Diocesan Social Action Center – Prelature of Infanta
- Diocese of Alaminos
- Diocese of Bacolod
- Diocese of Bayombong
- Diocese of Boac
- Diocese of Borongan
- Diocese of Butuan
- Diocese of Cabanatuan
- Diocese of Calbayog
- Diocese of Daet
- Diocese of Digos
- Diocese of Gumaca
- Diocese of Iba
- Diocese of Ilagan
- Diocese of Iligan
- Diocese of Ipil
- Diocese of Kabankalan
- Diocese of Kalibo
- Diocese of Kalookan
- Diocese of Kidapawan
- Diocese of La Union
- Diocese of Libmanan
- Diocese of Legazpi
- Diocese of Lucena
- Diocese of Maasin
- Diocese of Marbel
- Diocese of Mati
- Diocese of Paranaque
- Diocese of San Carlos
- Diocese of San Pablo
- Diocese of Surigao
- Diocese of Talibon
- Diocese of Tagum
- Diocese of Tandag
- Diocese of Virac
- Iglesia Filipina Independiente – Diocese of Laguna
- Integral Ecology Ministry – Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro
- Integral Ecology Ministry – Archdiocese of Capiz
- Integral Ecology Ministry – Diocese of Alaminos
- Integral Ecology Ministry – Diocese of Antique
- Integral Ecology Ministry – Diocese of Bacolod
- Integral Ecology Ministry – Diocese of Lucena
- Integral Ecology Ministry – Diocese of Paranaque
- Integral Ecology Ministry – Diocese of Tandag
- Integral Ecology Ministry – Diocese of Urdaneta
- Jaro Archdiocesan Social Action Center
- Lipa Archdiocesan Social Action Commission
- Military Ordinariate of the Philippines
- Prelature of Basilan
- Prelature of Infanta
- Social Action Center – Apostolic Vicariate of Taytay
- Social Action Center of Zambales
- Caritas Philippines
- Conference of Major Superiors in the Philippines
- Fellowship for the Care for Creation Association, Inc.
- Task Force Detainees of the Philippines
- CBCP Episcopal Commission on Basic Ecclesial Communities
- CBCP Episcopal Commission on Clergy
- Marinduque Council for Environmental Concerns
- Franciscan Solidarity Movement for Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation
- Young Franciscan Advocates
- OFM-JPIC Province of San Pedro Bautista
- PEACENet (Pangasinan Empowered Advocates on Care for the Environment Network)
- KUMASA NA (Koalisyon ng Mamamayan at Sambayanan ng Northern at Sentral Luzon)