Asia-Pacific Catholic Environmental Leaders Adopt 2030 Strategic Road Map in Tagaytay City
Delegates from Myanmar, South Korea, Timor-Leste, Indonesia, and the Philippines gathered from Oct. 24–27, 2026, at the CBCP-Caritas Philippines Development Center in Tagaytay City, Radio Veritas Asia reported. Seventeen participants attended the regional retreat, bringing ground-level accounts of ecological crises ranging from wildfire smoke halts to political conflict.
Timor-Leste School Closures Spotlight Transnational Smoke Haze
Severe air quality triggered by Indonesian wildfires forced the Timor-Leste government to suspend classes nationwide from Oct. 15–17, 2026. Isaura Barros, a 24-year-old executive board member of the Laudato Si’ Movement in Timor-Leste, detailed the disruption during the Tagaytay City gathering. Her account highlighted how cross-border environmental degradation directly impacts education and daily life in neighboring Southeast Asian nations.
Federation of Asian Bishops and Global Directors Outline Ecological Conversion
Bishop Allwyn D’Silva, auxiliary bishop emeritus of Bombay and chair of the Office of Human Development for the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences, addressed the delegates via video link. He pointed to widespread heat waves, flash floods, and unpredictable cold waves across the continent, praising grassroots volunteers for raising environmental awareness. Lorna Gold, executive director of the Laudato Si’ Movement, spoke from Ireland to frame ecological conversion as a community-wide mission rather than an individual endeavor. Cheryl Dugan, Asia-Pacific director, and Christina Leaño, associate director, subsequently introduced the global strategic road map toward a “Vision 2035,” centered on the Christian ichthys symbol and built upon four foundational pillars: eco-spirituality, sustainable communities, prophetic advocacy, and organizational strengthening.
Decentralized Leadership and Grassroots Priorities Across Five National Chapters
Yeb Saño, chair of the movement’s board, who led Greenpeace Southeast Asia from 2016 to 2025 and was once the Philippines’ chief climate negotiator at the United Nations, urged delegates to embrace decentralized leadership to match the synodal spirit of the Church. Representatives from all five participating nations outlined distinct localized initiatives:
- Philippines: Organizes the annual Walk for Earth and Deep Journey to Laudato Si’ programs in coordination with the national bishops’ conference.
- Myanmar: Operates the interfaith BEES Network around Yangon, supporting displaced populations and embedding care for creation into the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Myanmar socio-pastoral framework for 2026–2030.
- South Korea: Conducts Friday climate actions in Seoul’s Gwanghwamun Square, protests the Samcheok coal-fired power plant, and presses dioceses for net-zero parish emissions ahead of World Youth Day in Seoul in 2027.
- Timor-Leste:
- Indonesia:
SVD Laudato Si Farm Visit Concludes Regional Retreat
Participants concluded their four-day meeting with a tour of the SVD Laudato Si’ Farm in Tagaytay City, a 5.8-hectare ecological education and pilgrimage site founded in 2020 by Father Samuel “Sam” Naceno-Agcaracar, SVD. The delegates finalized priorities focused on expanding youth involvement ahead of the 2027 World Youth Day in Seoul and solidifying the operational capacity of national chapters across the Asia-Pacific region.
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