ONE RUN: Takbo ni Juan

CEBU, Philippines - Why cut trees and justify it as "necessary for road widening?" Why mine mountains and drill our ocean floors and call it "global competitiveness?" Why convert thousands of hectares of agricultural land into subdivisions, malls, theme parks and golf courses? Why the continual reclaiming of the sea to expand cities?

We do so because we have lost and forgotten something basic and vital to both our survival and the meaning of our lives. We seem to have abandoned our membership in the Earth Community. From the industrial revolution to the current IT revolution, our primordial and vital connection with mother earth is rapidly being replaced by our connection with structures of steel and concrete, and with machines and gadgets.

More than 800 years ago, St. Francis of Assisi sang his "Canticle of Creatures" and called everyone and everything sisters or brothers. He fraternized and celebrated his communion with God and all that God created. He was a happy and vibrant member of the Earth Community.

His song teems with reverence and awe for creation that is owned - but generously shared - by God. Hence, men and women are mere stewards and not owners of the earth. This spirit runs contrary to the prevailing greed, arrogance and violence justified by global corporate competition. The consequence of these greed and arrogance is massive environmental destruction which breeds injustice and poverty. For many years now, nations big and small have chosen to ignore the cry of the poor. Today, they even choose to ignore the cry of nature.

Last year, on November 8, the Visayas suffered the wrath of the fiercest storm of the millennium. It was a wakeup call that could not and should not be ignored. It was a clear warning from Mother Earth.

Runners want to respond. On October 27 - 31, running to the tune of St. Francis' "Canticle of Creatures," they run from the threatened trees of Carcar, San Fernando, and Naga City in Cebu to the coast line of Tacloban City. It is their gesture of invitation to all to renew membership in the Earth Community.

The Cebu Leg of the "One Run: Takbo ni Juan" is as follows: October 27 - Carcar to Naga; October 28 - Naga to Cebu; October 29 - Cebu to Danao; October 30 - Danao to Catmon; October 31 - Cebu to Bogo.

In Leyte, the runners begin the run, called the Yolanda Memorial Run, from Baybay on November 1 or 2, and end in Tacloban where members of the urban poor association , city officials of Tacloban and national government agencies are to plant at least 8,000 trees on a hill beside the mass graves of at least 6,000 typhoon Yolanda victims.