Anticipating the influx of Lenten visitors, the local government of the City of San Jose Del Monte (CSJDM) and the environmental watchdog group EcoWaste Coalition jointly asked the faithful not to leave any trail of trash behind.

The CSJDM in Bulacan Province is home to the Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto Shrine, a popular pilgrimage site located at Barangay Graceville. For decades, the shrine has been drawing tens of thousands of pilgrims, especially on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday.

Some visitors — who come to pray at the 14 Stations of the Cross in Calvary Hill featuring life-size statues — often abandon their discards, such as plastic bottles and picnic leftovers, inside the shrine for others to pick up and dispose of.

Aside from the Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto Shrine, there are other religious sites in CSJDM frequented by devotees, including the St. Joseph the Worker Parish Church in Poblacion and the San Lorenzo Ruiz de Manila Parish Church in Pleasant Hills Subdivision.

“We appeal to all visitors to keep the pilgrimage site and the streets leading to it litter-free at all times. As cleanliness is next to godliness, we ask the faithful to dispose of their trash in the designated bins,” said Engr. Thelma Bautista, Department Head of the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) of the CSJDM. “As the bins in the area may not be enough for the large crowds, we suggest that visitors bring their discards home for proper recycling, composting, or disposal. Bitbit ninyo, uwi ninyo, please.”

“We join the CSJDM in enjoining pilgrims from all walks of life to mind their trash and not leave any trail of litter behind as they fulfill their panata,” said Aileen Lucero, National Coordinator, EcoWaste Coalition. “As stewards of His creations, we have the shared responsibility of keeping the pilgrimage site, especially the prayer and picnic areas, litter-free.

To prevent and reduce the generation of trash, the CSJDM and the EcoWaste Coalition encouraged the pilgrims to heed the following reminders:

1. Bring water in a reusable tumbler to avoid buying bottled water.

2. Get your bottle refilled at water stations set up by civic groups.

3. Refrain from consuming food in single-use plastic packaging.

4. Don’t throw litter on the ground. Place your discards in proper bins or bring them home.

5. Bring a reusable bag for “pasalubong” and say no to plastic bags.

Waste avoidance and volume reduction, among other things, are required under Republic Act No. 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, the CSJDM and the EcoWaste Coalition said.

The CSJDM has a cooperation agreement with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources – Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB), the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, the EcoWaste Coalition, and other stakeholders towards the safe management of electronic waste, or e-waste.