Bishop Gerardo Alminaza of San Carlos, president-elect of Caritas Philippines, has warned that the ecological crisis cannot be separated from the moral crisis of corruption.

Speaking at the Laudato Si’ Summit and Festival at the Ateneo de Manila University on September 4, the prelate urged Church leaders, educators, and the youth to demand accountability from those in power.

Alminaza described overpriced and substandard flood-control projects as “monuments to greed” that fail to protect lives.

“Corruption not only wastes money. It kills. It kills trust. It kills justice. And in the context of disasters, it kills lives,” Alminaza said, adding that “greed is not an accident. It is a choice. And when those in power choose greed, the poor pay the price.”

He stressed that ecological conversion must be rooted in moral conversion and warned that “a society that cannot be honest in governance will never be honest in protecting creation.”

The bishop presented the Catholic Church’s ecological initiatives, including the establishment of Integral Ecology Ministries in dioceses, divestment from coal and mining by 2025, and rejection of “dirty donations.” 

He said these steps are part of a broader commitment by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) to align Church finances and institutions with the values of Laudato Si’.

The programs, he noted, aim not only to restore ecosystems but also to protect vulnerable communities that bear the brunt of climate disasters and environmental destruction.

He also highlighted campaigns for debt cancellation, loss and damage reparations, bamboo reforestation, zero-waste programs, recognition of Rights of Nature, and the protection of the Verde Island Passage, considered the “center of the center” of marine biodiversity. 

These initiatives, Alminaza explained, reflect the Church’s effort to respond to both global and local crises: addressing climate justice on the international stage while safeguarding critical ecosystems and livelihoods in the Philippines. 

The Verde Island Passage, he stressed, is not only a national treasure but also a vital resource for the world’s biodiversity, now threatened by industrial projects and pollution.

Alminaza affirmed that schools and young people play a crucial role, calling them “cradles of conscience.” 

He urged students not only to prepare for the future but to act in the present, noting that young people are already driving climate strikes, developing solutions, and pressing Church leaders to act consistently.

“The Church needs you. The world needs you. God is calling you,” he said. 

The prelate called for conversion of lifestyle, policy, and heart, reminding participants that ecological conversion requires seeing “the cry of the earth, the cry of the poor, the cry of our children” as one.