Providently, when King Solomon was made to choose between wealth and wisdom, he chose the latter. That unequal wisdom came to light when two mothers contending claim of the child in his court, King Solomon retorted: “Divide the children into two.”

        And the story came to pass who the real mother is. With sorrow seen in her eyes and heart, the real mother meekly gave up her rightful claim for the child to remain alive. The impostor mother, showing her truly deceptive, indifferent disposition, conceded to King Solomon’s highly discerning, deeper trap to determine who the real mother is. We virtually knew to whom was the child given by King Solomon.    Eventually, in the Christian world, it came to be  known as the Solomonic Wisdom.

                                                                 * * * *

        Provincial Ordinal No. 026-2023, “AN ORDINANCE TEMPORARILY SUSPENDING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF PROVINCIAL ORDINANCE NO. 006-2013, ENTITLED, “AN ORDINANCE DECLARING THE PROVINCE OF CATANDUANES A MINING FREE ZONE”TO ALLOW SMALL MINING OF COAL ONLY was enacted by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Catanduanes in session duly assembled on the joint motion of Hon. Carlomagno T. Guerrero I and Hon. Camille D. Qua and unanimously seconded by all the members present.

        Moreover, said provincial ordinance was in another community newspaper circulating in the province dated Nov. 29, Dec. 6 & 13, 2023.

        As expected said provincial ordinance, went on viral in the cyberspace, generated  a lot of criticism, public condemnation and criticism from the general public locally and elsewhere in the country, and who knows from the expatriates. 

        Immediately, the religious sector spearheaded by Bishop Manolo A. delos Santos Catholic Church wrote “AN OPEN LETTER TO THE SANGGUNIANG PANLALAWIGAN NG CATANDUANES” commenced with a serious question, after its greetings, to wit: “WHAT IS HAPPENING TO OUR COMMON HOME?

        Accordingly, like St. Francis in his beautiful canticle, we all wholeheartedly accepted “THAT OUR COMMON HOME IS LIKE A SISTER WITH WHOM WE SHARE OUR LIFE AND A BEAUTIFUL MOTHER WHO OPENS HER RMS TO EMBRACE US” [LAUDATU SI, 51 #].

        “HOWEVER, THE PRAYER OF ‘AUDATU SI MI SIGNORE [PRAISE BE TO YOU MY LORD] HAS BEEN REPLACED WITH SDNESS AND CRIES. THE “SISTER NOW CRIES OUT TO US BECAUSE OF THE HARM WE HAVE INFLICTED ON HER BY OUR IRRESPONSIBLE USE, MISUSE, AND BUSE OF THE GOODS WITH WHICH GOD  HAS ENDOWED HER.   WE HAVE COME TO SEE OURSELVES AS HER LORDS AND MASTERS, ENTITLED TO PLUNDER HER AT WILL”, the prelated continued.

           In repeating the  question, “WHAT IS HAPPENING TO OUR HOME?, the bishop added: “HAVE WE FORGOTTEN THAT IT IS THE DUTY OF THE STATE TO INTERVENE WHEN THE COMMON GOOD SO DICTATES. THERE IS NEVER AND WILL NEVER GOOD PROOF THAT MINING IS FOR THE COMMON GOOD EVEN TO SMALL, MEDIUM, AND LARGE SCALES. WE HAVE A REALITY UPON REALITY WHERE IT HAS CAUSED BIG TIME IF NOT LIFETIME SUFFERING. TO ALLOW THE POSSIBILITY OF MORE SUFFERING IS NOT MORALLY ACCEPTED. “

           With utmost conviction, discernment, and fervor, the bishop thundered: “WILL THE TEMPORARY SUSPENSION RESPOND TO THE ECONOMIC NEEDS OF BARANGAY CABUYON, PANGANIBAN? IS IT REALITY THE CRY OF THE RESIDENTS OF ONE BARANGAY AND/OR OF THE ENTIRE CATANDUNGANON? ARE WE SURE THAT IT WILL NOT BE A PRECEDENCE  FOR SOMETHING THAT IS BIG?OR CAN WE AGAIN CRY-OUT “HOW LONG IS TEMPORARY”? TAKE NOTE, WHATEVER IS FRAGILE LIKE THE ENVIRONMENT IS DEFENSELESS BEFORE THE INTEREST OF THE DEIFIED MARKET.

           “IN VIEW THEREOF, WE, THE CLERGY AND RELIGIOUS OF THE DIOCESE OF VIRAC, AGAIN REITERATE OUR OPPOSITION AND STAND THAT MINING MUST NOT BE CONDUCTED IN CATANDUANES IN ANY FORM BECAUSE:

  1. Catanduanes is an island province with fragile ecosystem.
  2. We believe that mining activities will not be socially and economically beneficial in short, long or any form;
  3. Present practices by mining companies have been proven to adversely affect the cultural, environmental, social, political and moral lives of any place;
  4. As stewards of God’s creation, it is our collective duty to ensure Earth’s well-being for the needs of future generations and not just today or temporary;
  5. The ecological crisis is evident to everyone. We are now witnessing widespread manifestation widespread manifestations of the earth’s critical condition manifested in rising sea levels, strongr typhoons, intense drought, and heavy rains which caused floodings, landslides. Catanduanes is not exempt from it; and
  6. Whatever gains the Province will get will never commensurate the destructions they will cause. For the damages will be irreparable and irreversible. Instead, “we will get the dose of our medicine”.

         “AGAIN, WE ASK, WHAT IS HAPPENING TO OUR COMMON HOME? WE HAVE BEEN KNOWN GLOBALLY AS A “HAPPY ISLAND”. DESPITE THE MANY TYPHOONS WE EXPERIENCE, WE REMAIN RESILIENT. PEOPLE COMING TO OUR PROVINCEEVEN AFTER STRONG TYPHOONS ELOQUENTLY ENUNCIATE “INDEED A HAPPY ISLAND”. CAN WE REALLY BE AUTHENTICALLY AND TRULY “HAPPY” WITH THESE REALITIES IN OUR ENVIRONMEMT?

  BICOL PERYODIKO WEEKLY COLUMN OF MR. GREEN ALERT SALVADOR “BUDDY ISORENA”.

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