INTEGRAL ECOLOGY | SacramenTrees Catechism (2)

2^nd of two parts 

5. The Imperative to “Widen the Space of Your Tent” 

The Catholic Church in the Philippines has long recognized the necessity of structured environmental advocacy. As early as 1988, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) proposed a systemic approach, suggesting the establishment of  “a Care of the Earth ministry at every level of Church organization; from the basic Christian communities, through the parish structure and diocesan offices right up to the national level.”^[1] This vision gained structural backing in 1991 when the Second Plenary Council of the Philippines (PCP-II) explicitly decreed that “an ecology desk must be set up in social action centers.”^[2] Furthermore, PCP-II directed the Philippine Church to “make ecology a special concern of the social action apostolate down to the parochial level…”^[3]

In recent years, this pastoral concern has evolved from a secondary administrative task into a core ministry. In November 2022, delegates at the 17th Mindanao-Sulu Pastoral Conference (MSPC XVII) in Cagayan de Oro rebranded their Ecology Desk as the Integral Ecology Ministry. They formally recognized “the urgency to institutionalize the Integral Ecology Ministry (IEM) as a priority pastoral concern, not merely an appendage to Social Action.”^[4] This regional shift culminated nationally in July 2024 during the CBCP’s Annual Retreat and 128th Plenary Assembly, held in Malaybalay and Cagayan de Oro respectively, where the bishops resolved to “elevate our ecology desk in all ecclesiastical jurisdictions into Integral Ecology Ministry.”^[5]

^{Filipino bishops gathered at the Abbey of the Transfiguration in Malaybalay for the CBCP Annual Retreat from July 2 to 4, 2024. Centered on the theme “Synod spirituality: Embracing ecology in the light of Laudato Sí and Laudate Deum,” the retreat served as the spiritual prelude to the 128th Plenary Assembly in Cagayan de Oro on July 6-8, 2024 where they decided to elevate ecology desks into full-fledged Integral Ecology Ministries nationwide. Photo courtesy of Reynaldo D. Raluto}

In the natural sciences, a “community” is not restricted to human populations; it encompasses all groups of diverse organisms residing within a given geographical area. Within an ecological community, everything is interrelated, and nothing exists in isolation. From an evolutionary perspective, the ecological community far precedes the human community. As latecomers to an evolving universe, human beings emerged as an integral part of this pre-existing ecosystem. Pope Francis notes that “… human life, intelligence and freedom are elements of the nature that enriches our planet.”^[6] Without human beings, the broader ecological community would simply be deprived of those unique human perfections.

Nevertheless, human existence remains fundamentally contingent upon the natural world. Ecologist Eugene Odum states that the human being “is considered to be a dependent part of ecological systems.”^[7] The ecosystem operates as a complex network of diverse life that serves as the primary life-support system for humanity. Ecological sciences repeatedly emphasize that the human species is equally subject to the same systemic laws that govern the wider biological community—such as food webs, resource consumption, climate limits, and energy transfers. Biologically, human beings remain a “species among species” within the animal kingdom.

Consequently, there is an urgent need to push past the narrow sociological and ecclesiological boundaries that usually define human communities. To build a truly holistic understanding of community, we must technically include creatures other than humans. This shift invites us to embrace the ecological vision of Aldo Leopold, who famously challenged humanity to enlarge “the boundaries of the community to include soils, waters, plants, and animals, or collectively: the land.”^[8] Interestingly, this scientific expansion directly parallels the spiritual call “to widen our experiences and enlarge the tent” expressed during the Asian Continental Assembly on Synodality.^[9]

In the end, humanity cannot carry out its divine purpose in a vacuum. As theologian Jürgen Moltmann beautifully noted: “Human beings will only fulfil their special task as ‘the image of God’ if they recognize the community of creation in which and from which and with which they live.”^[10]

6. Learning from the Ecological Community of the Lumads 

Since 2012, a tribal group in Impasug-ong, Bukidnon, has conducted an annual forest trek called Panlauy ta Kalasan (visit to the forest). Organized by their youth group—the Higaonon Anamag Malandang Olagdok Gagaw (HAMOG)—this journey takes place within the Agtulawon Mintapod Higaonon Cumadon (AGMIHICU) ancestral domain, an ecosystem tracking across more than 14,000 hectares.^[11] This creative methodology of intergenerational education offers a powerful pedagogical model, challenging our parish to appropriate similar ecological and cultural formation programs for our own IP youth.

Based on my participation in AGMIHICU activities, its Panlauy ta Kalasan is driven by two main goals. First, it allows the community to inspect the boundaries of their Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT) so the younger generation can map and identify them firsthand. Second, it provides a living school to study and protect Indigenous culture alongside the natural world—safeguarding the rivers, mountains, wildlife, native foods, and medicinal plants found deep in the woods. 

^{A souvenir photo from the Panlauy ta Kalasan (Forest Visit) in May 2022, an annual trek dedicated to monitoring and protecting the community’s vast 14,000-hectare ancestral domain. This photo features the Pantaon siblings with their children. Proving the rigor of the trek, a Strava log recorded a grueling 23-kilometer trek through the forest, totaling 13 hours and 35 minutes of moving time. Photo courtesy of Reynaldo D. Raluto}

Ultimately, the Panlauy is a powerful medium for passing down ancestral traditions that have guaranteed Lumad survival for millennia. As a parish with 13 chapels in predominantly Lumad communities, JNP aims to reconnect Indigenous youth to this rich forest heritage to preserve their culture and living faith. Beyond helping build chapels and forming Gagmayng Simbahanong Katilingban (GSK/BEC), pastoral workers walk with the community in mutual enrichment. The parish has immense wisdom to gain from Indigenous peoples, whose worldview challenges traditional BECs to expand their community: shifting from mere basic human communities to basic ecological communities deeply rooted in God’s creation.

This mutual enrichment easily translates into real-world, shared actions. First, parishes can coordinate directly with Indigenous groups to replant the barren mountains within their ancestral lands. Second, to secure long-term livelihood support, projects should expand beyond planting native timber to include sustainable fruit trees and bamboo. Finally, true partnership requires active pastoral leadership, meaning Indigenous individuals should be intentionally invited to join parish and diocesan Integral Ecology Ministry teams as core leaders.

An authentic experience of ecological conversion entails a radical transformation in our attitude toward non-human creatures. A true convert embraces a spirituality that evaluates created realities through an altered perspective. Fundamentally, ecological conversion means embracing the call to become Basic Ecological Communities—a structural and spiritual reality already witnessed spontaneously among many Indigenous populations. 

^{For JNP’s appropriated version of Panlauy ta kalasan, we journeyed with Lumad parishioners from Sitio Alawon, Libona, trekking to the summit of Mt. Hagtunganon (2,380 meters above sea level). The peak is exceptionally quiet, untouched even by the sound of birdsong. Historically serving as the tribe’s refuge in times of conflict, this summit provided a sacred space where we celebrated Mass in the heart of nature. Photo courtesy of Reynaldo D. Raluto}

Culturally, Lumad communities are highly advanced in terms of operating as localized basic ecological communities. The Indigenous communities within the parish boundaries possess a distinct, nature-based spirituality from which the wider Church can learn. This ecological spirituality is deeply rooted in the preservation and care of their ancestral domain, particularly the forest and river ecosystems.

7. The SacramenTrees Program 

To ensure the sacraments are accessible to everyone—especially the poor—our parish has replaced the traditional arancel (sacramental fee) system with Halad Balik sa Dios (Return Offering to God) through our BECs. In place of monetary payments, parishioners now contribute native or fruit-bearing tree seedlings prior to receiving the sacraments. These seedlings are dedicated to our local reforestation project, transforming a structural administrative change into a vibrant communal movement. 

Because receiving a sacrament means welcoming God’s grace and entering a deeper spiritual life, JNP ensures this internal transformation finds a tangible, lasting expression in the soil of our common home. This vision comes alive through our pioneering SacramenTrees program. Inspired by Pope Francis’s encyclical Laudato Si’, the initiative beautifully intertwines our sacred milestones with active ecological stewardship. Whether welcoming a newborn in Baptism, celebrating a First Communion, Confirmation, or Matrimony, or honoring a deceased loved one with a Requiem Mass, every holy moment is now paired with the planting of a tree. 

^{Children from the JNP-Libona parish participate in the SacramenTrees reforestation program in Pongol, Libona, Bukidnon. Held on October 14, 2025, to culminate the Diocese of Malaybalay’s Season of Creation, the event empowered the next generation to become active stewards of the environment. Photo courtesy of Reynaldo D. Raluto}

While environmental initiatives are not completely new to the Diocese of Malaybalay, SacramenTreeselevates the practice from a mere requirement into a profound act of communal worship. By planting indigenous, endemic, or sustainable fruit-bearing trees, our parish community actively heals the local environment, restores God’s creation, and invites families to celebrate life by planting the seeds of tomorrow.

To ensure this program builds a true culture of ecological conversion, the parish has set intentional standards. Rather than relying on government-provided seedlings, families are highly encouraged to personally source, cultivate, and propagate their own trees. This hands-on preparation ensures that our sacrifices remain personal and deeply meaningful.

The program is structured for long-term survival, moving away from short-lived photo opportunities. From seasonal schedules to mandatory “Dry Season Protocols”—where families shift their focus to weeding and maintenance—the program guarantees that every seedling submitted is given the best chance to grow. A specialized tracking system monitored by our Basic Ecclesial Communities (BEC) ensures that these trees are nurtured until they survive.

SacramenTrees brings the entire parish together. Expectant mothers connect with BEC Cell Leaders at six months of pregnancy to prepare for future sacraments. Catechists, Chapel Presidents, and Ministries serve as front-liners, educating families during pre-sacramental seminars. Together, we march toward the JNP Laudato Si Reforestation Project site, turning empty fields into thriving canopies of life.

When we plant a tree to mark a sacrament, we leave a living monument of God’s grace. Hopefully, decades from now, the children baptized today will look up at tall, strong trees and see a physical reflection of their own maturing faith. Through SacramenTrees, JNP proves that to love God is to care for His creation, ensuring that as our parish grows in grace, our hills grow in green.

(MindaViews is the opinion section of MindaNews. Fr. Reynaldo D. Raluto is the parish priest of Jesus Nazareno Parish in Libona, Bukidnon. He is the author of the book ‘Integral Ecology Ministry: Doing Ecological Theology and Advocacy in Light of Laudato Si,’ published in September 2025 by the Mindanao Institute of Journalism.)

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^[1] Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, What Is Happening to Our Beautiful Land?: A Pastoral Letter on Ecology (Manila: CBCP, January 29, 1988), https://cbcponline.net/what-is-happening-to-our-beautiful-land/.

^[2] Second Plenary Council of the Philippines, Acts and Decrees of the Second Plenary Council of the Philippines: 20 January–17 February 1991 (Manila: Secretariat, PCP-II, 1992), sec. 4. 

^[3] Second Plenary Council of the Philippines, Acts and Decrees of the Second Plenary Council of the Philippines, sec. 4.

^[4] “Statement of the 17th Mindanao-Sulu Pastoral Conference (MSPC XVII),” MindaNews, December 14, 2022. 

^[5] “CBCP Elevates Ecology ‘Desk’ to ‘Ministry’,” CBCPNews, July 16, 2024, https://cbcpnews.net/cbcpnews/cbcp-elevates-ecology-desk-to-ministry/.

^[6] Pope Francis, Laudate Deum: Apostolic Exhortation to All People of Good Will on the Climate Crisis (Vatican City: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, October 4, 2023), no. 26, vatican.va. 

^[7] Eugene P. Odum, Fundamentals of Ecology, 3rd ed. (Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders Company, 1971), 4.

^[8] Aldo Leopold, A Sand County Almanac and Sketches Here and There (New York: Oxford University Press, 1949), 204. 

^[9] Asian Continental Assembly on Synodality, Final Document of the Asian Continental Assembly on Synodality: “Widen the Space of Your Tent” (Is 54:2) (Bangkok: Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences, March 2023), no. 42. 

^[10] Jürgen Moltmann, God in Creation: A New Theology of Creation and the Spirit of God, trans. Margaret Kohl (San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1985), 187.

^[11] For an overview of this community-led initiative, see Agtulawon Mintapod Higaonon Cumadon (AGMIHICU), Patagonan daw Bahaw-bahaw: ICCA Case Documentation of the Higaonon Community of AGMIHICU (Impasug-ong, Bukidnon: Non-Timber Forest Products Exchange Programme [NTFP-EP] Philippines, 2019), 4–12.