LS-CET Program Debut Session Sparks Metanoia Among Participants at Don Bosco School of Theology, Philippines

Don Bosco School of Theology (DBST) in the Philippines finally opened its doors to the first 50 participants of the Laudato Si’ Certified Environmental Trainer (LS-CET) program last August 12, 2023 at the Don Bosco School of Theology Maria Auxilium Hall.

The LS-CET program utilizes a three-pronged approach to waste management education whereby theology, ecology, and technology are integrated. Given this holistic approach, every week, participants can expect three different lectures, discussions, and workshops that tackle each of the aforementioned components. 

The first lecturer for the first session is Fr. Stephen Placente, SDB who discussed about the word and the world. In this session, scriptures from the Old and the New Testament were analyzed in 

order to shed light on how contemporary ecological challenges can be addressed. As a point for reflection and action, participants were asked to reflect on their own attitudes and beliefs about ecology and to further ponder upon how their faith has influenced their outlook and response towards ecological challenges. 

This next session which is focused on the ecological component of the program delved into the issue of climate change. In order for the participants to be knowledgeable about this, speakers from the Oscar M. Lopez Foundation discussed the various evidences of climate change and presented points on how individual actions, national policies, and international agreements have addressed this problem. Through this session, participants have been provided with valuable information thus, making them more equipped to engage in discussions regarding this issue. 

To culminate the first day of the LS-CET program, a workshop on Biochar was conducted by Mr. Philip Camara, MS. In this hands-on program, he explained that Biochar is a type of charcoal from organic waste materials. Through the workshop, participants learned about the environmental and agricultural benefits of Biochar as well as the practical skills to produce and apply it. Ultimately, this workshop poses a challenge on the participants on how they can make use of Biochar to promote environmental and agricultural sustainability. 

With the use of the theology-ecology-technology framework, participants were able to understand the relationship between theology and ecology. They also realized how technology can be used to mitigate and to address ecological concerns. As stated by one of the participants, such realization brought about by the interconnectedness of the three components of the program resulted to metanoia, a change in one’s life.