The Moratorium

(logging and mining)

Groups from the Catholic clergy and people of Davao Oriental have been requesting a moratorium of the large scale mining and logging operations taking place in the same province. We believe this is for the good of the people. Considering the worldwide dangers of global warming and environmental calamities (e.g. floods) in many areas of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao , it’s about time. The honorable mayor R. Hagedorn of the capital city of Palawan, namely Puerto Princesa, has clearly shown in word and example, how Palawan has progressively boomed through preservation of its natural resources of wood trees and mining minerals, thus preserving the economy by tourism and the usual and normal livelihood of the native or local inhabitants. He made a reversal in policy or conversion of heart from being a logger and miner previously. He even assured our priests of Davao Oriental that he is willing to talk about his success story in Palawan to our people here in Davao Oriental. You see for yourself and go to Palawan to see how truth speaks for itself.

As the world has always shown, the temptation and corruption comes because of the money in the various sorts of commerce happening around. People get lured because of the money offers. But transactions done because of the money lead to self-destruction, as Judas Iscariot hanged himself, after betraying Jesus for 30 pieces of silver, and the many calamities causing loss of countless lives that came as a result of irresponsible logging or mining transactions. What’s our guiding word from the Bible or even genuine business people of our times. We have to approach the whole matter the way God wants us to do, putting first things first, scil. the will of God first or the true good of man, before the monetary considerations. “Set your hearts on his kingdom first, and on his righteousness, and all these other things will be given you as well” (Mt. 6:33). “The love of money is the root of all evils and there are some who, pursuing it, have wandered away from the faith, and so given their souls any number of fatal wounds” (1 Tim. 6:10). Remember Judas betrayed Jesus for the money, then hanged himself. The great business analyst Robert Townsend, author of Up the Organization, writing about 40 years ago (1970), had cautioned us: “Money, like prestige, if sought directly, is almost never gained. It must come as a byproduct of a worthwhile objective or result which is sought and achieved for its own sake.” Of the irresponsible people, logging and mining for the money, devastating the environment, we can only pray as Jesus did at the cross: “Father, forgive them; they do not know what they are doing” (Lk. 23:34).