Franciscans clean up seaside; distribute rice, school supplies to children in Philippines

Franciscan sisters, priests, brothers, and volunteers collected and disposed of sacks of trash strewn around the seaside of Cordova, the only town on Mactan island in Cebu, on August 31.

Coinciding with the Season of Creation, inter-Franciscan communities in Cebu demonstrated their commitment to safeguarding and conserving the environment, said Sr. Girlie Lopez, formation program coordinator of Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception of the Holy Mother of God.

The solid wastes were picked by a garbage truck of the local government of Cordova. 

The Franciscans distributed rice, burgers, juices, salt, and school supplies, including erasers, sharpeners, crayons, coloring pencils, ballpens, pencils, writing papers, and envelopes to the children in their adopted community in Cordova.

Known as Cordova Alternative Resource of Education, the Franciscans have been taking care of this adopted community for the past more than 10 years, Lopez said.

The Franciscans take care of 40 children in this adopted community. They provide them monthly tutorials, catechesis, and feeding, especially for the undernourished.

Most of the parents of the children in this adopted community are fishermen, construction workers, and tricycle drivers.

The Franciscans observe poverty has an impact on the learning of children.

To help the children’s parents ease financial difficulties, the Franciscans offer the mothers free livelihood training, like making liquid dishwashing soap, and powder soap.

A Mass was celebrated after the clean-up activities.

Cebu is an island in the Visayas region more than 1,000 kilometers southeast of Manila, the country's capital.

“We have this commitment to caring for the environment as Saint Francis of Assisi is the patron saint of creation,” Lopez said. “This is also in response to the call of the times.”