This paper is a self study.

1. THE VOYAGE OF THE PEOPLE IN ISLA NOAH
By Sr. Ana Mae F. Natividad, SSA
I. INTRODUCTION
Poverty can also be considered a human injustice. It is a living condition that gradually
kills people who are having difficulty attaining their daily basic needs. The Philippines has
been badly affected by poverty, particularly those people living in urban areas. People from
the provinces are flocking to the cities to find jobs and livelihood and yet most of them end
up living in slum areas because of a lack of income to rent a decent apartment or a house.
¹ (Bryan Stevenson)
According to an OCTA Research survey, in the second quarter of 2023, around half of
Filipino households believed they were poor. The survey was conducted from July 22 to
July 26, 13.2 million homes, or 50% of Filipino families, self-rated as poor. 2
Moreover, the cry of the poorest of the poor is interrelated with the cry of the earth. The
poor people suffer most in times of calamities such as typhoons, heavy rains, floods, and
landslides. This is the usual scenario of the people living in Isla Noah, 11th St. Damayang
Lagi, Quezon City.
II. A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE LIFE OF THE COMMUNITY
In 2009, a demolition activity happened in 11th Street, Barangay Damayang Lagi
wherein those families living there were forced to transfer and began to settle in a nearby
smaller lot owned by the government. Even though the place is prone to floods during rainy
days, the people risk living there since they don’t have any place to settle in. Before there
were only 150 families now it raises 320 families living in Isla Noah, wherein most of them
residing are coming from the different regions of Visayas and Mindanao. They came to
Metro Manila to find jobs and livelihoods to sustain the needs of their family. Others
transfer from one place to another until they settle for many years in Isla Noah because this
is the nearby place to stay where they work as factory workers, cooks, house helpers,
vendors, tricycle drivers, and many others. Some of them also find someone in the area to

2. get married. Some families are relocated to other areas in provinces and yet they come back
because their livelihood is in the city.
III. COMMON PHYSICAL CONDITION OF EVERY FAMILY, IN PARTICULAR,
VULNERABLE
In Laudato Si', Pope Francis reminds us that "we are faced not with two separate crisis,
one environmental and the other social, but rather with one complex crisis which is both
social and environmental" (LS, 139). The poor's cry and the Earth's cry are inextricably
linked. What the most defenseless among us cry the same groaning as creation. 3
Presently, these families in Isla Noah are building their small houses in a congested
area. There is no proper ventilation. There are no rooms for women. There is only one place
for them as a dining area, living room, and bedroom place at the same time. Unfortunately,
during heavy rains, they are suffering from floods that reach their houses. There is poor
sanitation and children easily get sick.
Indeed, their situation is quite far from what Pope Saint John XXIII said; “Every human
being enjoys the right to life, to bodily integrity and the means necessary for the proper
development of life, including food, clothing, shelter, medical care, rest, and, finally, the
necessary social services. In consequence, every individual has the right to be looked after
in the event of ill health; disability stemming from work; widowhood, and forced
unemployment; as well as in other cases when, through no fault of his own, he or she is
deprived of the means of livelihood” 4
(ed. Carlen, No. 11).
The situation of the families living in Isla Noah manifests and reflects the desperate
situation of Mother Earth. The polluted air, frequent floods, plastic pollution, and global
warming are just but a few environmental crisis that are calling for our attention and action.
We cannot turn the cry of the poor into joy if we cannot effectively take action to address
the cry of the earth.
IV. SPIRITUALITY OF THE COMMUNITY
Poverty is not a hindrance to building a stronger relationship with God. Despite their
poor physical situation, their faith and hope in God remain. They continue to attend the
different activities of their respective Churches. Those members of the Basic Ecclesial

3. Community (BEC) are participating in their weekly Bible Sharing in their community.
However, mostly only mothers and children are active in spiritual exercises because men
focus on their work and livelihood.
Moreover, to their relationship with one another in the community, they try to help one
another according to their capacity and resources. They pray, comfort, and give hope to
each other when they are affected by catastrophes. However, most of the people residing
in Isla Noah have little concern regarding nature and their environment. I can concretely
witness the various kinds of garbage thrown everywhere. There is air and water pollution.
Noise pollution also distracts children from their studies.
V. THE REVELATIONS AND STORIES OF THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS
Every individual in the community has a unique story to tell and narrate about their
experiences in life. They have notions in life that need to be shown in their true light. The
following are statements and beliefs of some of the members of the community.
“Maybe this is our fate to be here and to experience this kind of life. We don’t have
anywhere to go. "We stayed here since I got married”, said Nanay Leonora, a street
sweeper, who takes care of her five grandchildren left by her daughter, unfortunately got
pregnant five times with different men, and now has her own family with another one. She
came from the province of Zamboanga. She has already separated for many years from her
abusive husband.
“This is the place where we can afford to stay with my family and it is nearby from our
work”, said Marilou a BEC member working as a cook in one of the Religious
Congregations in our parish. She is from the province of Capiz. Her husband is also from
Negros Occidental, presently working as a family driver. They have three children. They
have lived in Isla Noah for more than ten years.
“We don’t have a choice in life, we just have to accept the reality of our life”, said Myra
a housewife who is taking care of her children while her husband is working abroad as a
construction worker. Their house is always experiencing floods during heavy rains. They
believed that their situation was just but a consequence of their poverty.
"Honestly, we have difficulty in maintaining the cleanliness of our community (in our
creek) since our location is in the lower part wherein that garbage from the upper part of

4. another community will be swept away by the flood during heavy rains in our area,
“according to Severino Dela Pena, an officer in their Association of Isla Noah.
However, according to the President of the Association of Isla Noah, they are willing
to welcome my project proposals to their community. Indeed, we have a similar goal for
the common good of all. It is responding to the cries of the poor and the earth.
VI. APPLICATION OF KEY MAJOR CONCEPTS IN THEOLOGY OF
ECOLOGY
a. Everything is interconnected
In Laudato Si’ Pope Francis insists that “everything is connected”: humankind is
connected to the ecosystems in which we live, and social problems such as poverty and
technological development are connected to our misuse of the natural environment.3
Indeed, this is manifested in the life situation of the people in Isla Noah, wherein due
to the advancement of technology and industrialization those people who are quietly living
in the provinces aspire to find jobs in the cities which they end up staying in urban areas
with no place to settle in. Their aspirations and dreams are noble. However, their condition
is an interrelated effect of the economic development, political system, and environmental
crisis that we have been experiencing for many years. The tears that flowed from the eyes
of these materially poor people are the same tears shed by our dying Mother Earth.
“Therefore, it feels imperative to return to the fundamentals of community in light of
the ever-increasingly competitive world that prioritizes individual gain over group
advantages. Beyond what we already do, we are capable of a far higher degree of
coexistence. The interaction of objects, people, and the natural world to create a complex
whole is known as interconnectedness. Future generations must construct a better world
through cooperation and respect in light of global concerns including climate change,
biodiversity, sustainability, cultural awareness, and indigenous wisdom. They are
complementary to one another because productive collaboration requires mutual regard,
and constructive collaboration cannot exist without respect. “5
“Today more than ever before, life must be characterized by a sense of universal
responsibility, not only nation to nation and human to human but also human to all other
forms of life”, Dalai Lama.

5. b. Ecofeminist Theology
Ecofeminist theology describes religious contemplation and practice from viewpoints
and resources that make it possible to be perceptive to the experiences and lessons that
women have learned from their struggles and solidarity with the underprivileged,
indigenous peoples, the vulnerable, and other earthly species.6
(Rae Sanchez, Ph.D. and
Marnie Racaza)
In this concept, the Basic Ecclesial Community, Lay group members of the Sisters of
St. Ann, and the members of the Association of Isla Noah are called to be an agent of
creating a healthy environment in their community. The empowerment of women and those
vulnerable in the community is essential to achieving their goals.
c. Caring-in-Community
"People need to be passionate about serving others and caring for those who suffer,"
Pope Francis said.
Caring is exercised from within the context of community, and from an awareness that
we are all deeply interconnected. Hence, we care together and for one another.6
(Rae
Sanchez, Ph.D., and Marnie Racaza) Caring is to feel the other’s feelings, be affected by
them, and act as something to make a loving response to the given situation.
VII. INTEGRATED SOLUTION
FAITH FORMATION
LIVELIHOOD
PROGRAM
ISLA NOAH
COMMUNITY
(CRY OF THE POOR and CRY OF THE EARTH)
WASTE MANAGEMENT CREEK CLEAN-UP
ENVIRONMENTAL
EDUCATION

6. According to Pope Francis, the most effective solutions will not come from
individual efforts alone, but above all from major political decisions on the national and
international level.7
(LD 69)
A community will truly flourish when there is an authentic and faithful
collaboration between all sectors of society. The response to the Cry of the Poor is a call
to promote eco-justice, aware that we are called to defend human life from conception to
death, and all forms of life on Earth. The Church’s principles of human dignity, a special
concern for the poor, and solidarity both call us and challenge us to hear the cries of all
persons who are displaced or vulnerable, offer them understanding and acceptance, support
them, and work with them and others to expose and eradicate the injustice, indignity, and
violence that they suffer. In connection with this, is our equal response to the Cry of Earth
which is a call to protect our common home for the well-being of all, as we equitably
address the climate crisis, biodiversity loss, pollution, ecological sustainability, and
restoration. 8
“Efforts by households to reduce pollution and waste, and to consume with prudence,
are creating a new culture. The mere fact that personal, family and community habits are
changing is contributing to greater concern about the unfulfilled responsibilities of the
political sectors and indignation at the lack of interest shown by the powerful.”7
(LD 71)
VIII. PERSONAL REFLECTION
God is the ultimate source of hope and strength for every individual who believes
in God’s mysterious works and ways in their life, particularly for those poor people.
Despite their difficult situation, they strongly believe that God never abandons them. It is
an amazing realization that the people in Isla Noah cling to God’s daily providential love
and care for them. Our constant interaction through bible sharing and personal visitation
with them helped me to realize that they consider it happiness when they still have that
hope in God. However, it is also noticeable that they need to purify some of their principles
and notions in life to become aware of their true condition as a community and learn to
uphold their dignity as children of God as well as the dignity of all God’s creation.

7. Everything is interconnected, and ... genuine care for our own lives and our
relationships with nature are inseparable from fraternity, justice, and faithfulness to
others.3 —Pope Francis, Laudato Si’ (70)
IX. REFERENCES
(1)-H. E. Butt Foundation’s Folo Media initiative in 2017
(2)- Gaea Katreena Cabico- Philstar.com September 19, 2023
(3)-Encyclical Letter Laudato Si’ Of The Holy Father Francis On Care For Our Common Home
(4)-Fr. Josh Kureethadam from the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development
( 5 )- https://www.culturekids.be/interconnectedness/
(6) Rae Sanchez, Ph.D. and Marnie Racaza, Core Concepts Related to Ecofeminist Theology
(7) Apostolic Exhortation Laudate Deum Of The Holy Father Francis To All People Of Good Will On
The Climate Crisis
( 8 ) https://institute.mercy.org.au/laudato-si/laudato-si-goal-1-response-to-the-cry-of-the-earth/