Steps Toward a Greener Future: The Laudato Si’ Luminaries of 2024

Written by Marlaine Tagayuna

Contributions of Jacques Ausan and Adriana Guinto

By virtue of our unique dignity and our gift of intelligence, we are called to respect creation and its inherent laws, for “the Lord by wisdom founded the earth” (Prov 3:19).

- Laudato Si’ Chapter 2, 69

On Thursday, November 28, the culminating activity for the “Let’s STEEM Up!” Celebration was held at Manresa School’s Auditorium. Along with the awarding ceremonies held to recognize the winners of the different activities, one of the two competitions that took place during this day was the Laudato Si’ Luminaries. With the objective of fostering creativity, leadership, camaraderie, and love for God’s creation among SHS students, this event was not only a platform for opportunity but also a self-fulfilling avenue to advocate for the preservation of our environment.

The competition features the fruits of the hard work of all Grades 11 and 12 sections. Each participant prepared a video on their chosen advocacy that aims to highlight Pope Francis’ encyclical, Laudato Si’. The participants were also challenged to a Question and Answer Portion, featuring questions about their advocacies.

Among all these, however, is the main facade of the competition: the participants’ costumes made of recycled materials. Ranging from plastic wrappers to used boxes and scraps of paper, their attires truly fascinated the audience and served as a step forward to a greener and more sustainable future. 

Among the eight pairs of participants, two stood out the most and were given the title of this year’s Laudato Si’ Luminaries: Jacques Ausan and Adriana Guinto of 12 - St. Matthew. 

The pair, coming from the cosmic House of Swans, were dressed up as black and white swans. Jacques was wearing a costume that utilized organic material such as cardboard, scratch papers, feathers, and biodegradable trash bags as the house’s black swan. To complete the look, he brought with him the Staff of the Stars made from cardboard and a hanger rod. His attire also represents his advocacy for the use of Biochar–a charcoal-like substance made from organic materials. With the costume that unites the land and sky, Jacques owned the stage as his section’s pride. Let’s take a closer look into Jacques’ whole experience through his short narrative:

“The STEEM Month celebration presented the SHS students a platform to pause and look around our community. We, as an educative community, realized how stagnant society is, being stuck in a system that sticks to the industrial past and does not consider the effects of this lifestyle. 

In particular, the Laudato Si Luminaries inspired the community to start moving away from this. Identify, initiate, inspire. This was the idea that encouraged me to join the luminaries. Preparing the advocacies for the event was the first step in figuring out how we were to approach STEEM month as a section. Cygnus Domus—House of Swans. Elegant animals that display class, swift movements, and harmony among the land and the sky. As pioneers of an eco-friendly tomorrow, this was the birth of our idea—class in fashion and harmony in biochar.

The costume-making took a week to both conceptualize and make. How would you create a design out of materials that you would generally put in the waste bin? Simple, integrate the core principles your house emphasizes and uses in their everyday lives. Integrate your mission, and the objectives you have in joining the competition in the various events the luminaries have to offer. Being integral to this goal gave us the edge as we were true to our answers as student leaders who strive to inspire more to this initiative.

The QnA event was the most memorable portion of the experience. Most especially because of the question. It was not a natural question in comparison to others. The only astronomy question, and how would you address a national concern. It all goes back to the core principle of the house. Identify, initiate, inspire. If you identify the problem, you cannot be like society and stay stagnant. You initiate something that's not only for you but for the youth, for society. It was a statement to step forward and create organizations to inspire more people to join an innovative future.”

Jacques was given the special award of Best in Qna (Male) and the Laudato Si’ Luminary 2024.

Adriana Guinto, on the other hand, wore a look inspired by “Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake meets celestial Art Deco” as the house’s white swan. Her outfit made use of old cardboard boxes and scratch papers to recreate a swan’s iconic wings. For her flowy and graceful dress, old household curtains were utilized. Finally, to pull the look all together, she also wore a ballerina tutu made of scratch papers and a pair of upcycled pointe shoes from her past ballet productions. Ready to take flight, Adriana gracefully presented herself on stage, truly making her section proud. This is what she has to say about her experience:

“I was somewhat reluctant to join the pageant at first. It was something so new to me. I figured to give it a go since I grew up performing on a stage anyway. Joining Laudato Si Luminaries was one of the best moments of my Senior High life! The preparation leading up to the event was no walk in the park though. It took the collective efforts of our section to make our vision come to life, and I truly owe it to them, St. Matthew. The pageant itself was definitely memorable! I expected to feel nervous, but it was quite the opposite for me. I just had fun, did my best, and let my true self shine on stage, and I'm glad that it paid off. Hearing Jacques' and my name get called for both special awards and first place was the cherry on top for me. I'm so grateful to have won an event that has substance and movement for our planet. This is something I will truly cherish.”

Adriana won Best in Upcycled Attire (Female) and the Laudato Si’ Luminatrix 2024.

Congratulations to all our participants who courageously took a step toward a greener future and reflected their stewardship for God and the environment, most especially to Jaques Ausan and Adriana Guinto. We are proud of you all, our Manresan advocated for Laudato Si’!