On the afternoon of the Full Moon, at approximately 4:00 PM, I conducted a Full Moon Ritual under the celestial alignment of the Moon in Pisces and the Sun in Virgo. In this sacred gathering, we turned our hearts and prayers toward Bathalang Maykapal, the Divine Source and Sustainer of all life.
The Full Moon in Pisces carries the energies of compassion, intuition, healing, and spiritual interconnectedness. In contrast, the Sun in Virgo reminds us of responsibility, stewardship, practical service, and care for the physical world. Together, these energies invited us to reflect upon a profound question:
How can we heal our communities, our societies, and our planet through both spiritual awareness and responsible action?
Calling Upon the Ancestors of Leadership
As part of the ritual, I invoked the memory and higher consciousness of the former municipal and city leaders of San Jose del Monte:
Ceriaco Gallardo, Sinforoso Avena, Felicano Avanceña, Quirico Villano, Jose Avanceña, Adriano Capa, Ricardo Marcello, Bonifacio Inocencio, Eusebio Aguirre, Constantino Aguirre, Jose Guballa, Guillermo Robes, Reynaldo Villano, Eduardo Roquero, Angelito Sarmiento, and Rey San Pedro.
My intention was not political but spiritual. These individuals, in different eras, helped shape the destiny of San Jose del Monte. Through their memories and legacies, I sought guidance for the continuing development of our beloved city.
Likewise, I called upon the collective consciousness, or abyan, of all barangays that comprise San Jose del Monte. Each barangay possesses its own history, character, struggles, aspirations, and spiritual identity. Together they form the living soul of the city.
Remembering the Guardians of the Land
After the ritual, I realized that there were many other living communities whose guardians I had not formally called upon.
I reflected upon the many residential communities and subdivisions that now cover the landscape of San Jose del Monte. Once agricultural lands, many of these places have become centers of housing and urban development. The people who reside there are also part of the city’s evolving story and deserve recognition in our collective prayers.
I also felt that I should have called upon the spirits and guardians of Mount Balagbag, whose forests, hills, and watersheds have long stood as silent witnesses to the transformation of the region.
Equally important are the rivers, streams, and waterways that nourish the land:
- Kipungok River
- Sto. Cristo River System
- Sta. Maria River System
- Bigte Creek
- Kantulot Creek
- Katinga Creek
- Salamin Creek
- Sapang Laan
- Ilog Estrabiyal
- Sapang Alat
- Sapang Palay
- Sapang Bakaw
- Sapang Gubat
- Sapang Kawayan
I also reflected upon the beauty and significance of Tuntong Falls, Trio Falls, Kaytitinga Falls, Burong Falls, and Otso-Otso Falls.
These waters are more than geographical features. They are lifelines of the community. They sustain homes, agriculture, wildlife, and future generations. They remind us that water is sacred and must never be taken for granted.
The Transformation of San Jose del Monte
During the ritual, I contemplated the historical evolution of San Jose del Monte.
There was a time when the municipality was strongly connected to agriculture. Farms, rice fields, grazing lands, rivers, and forests played an essential role in local life. The landscape itself provided food security, livelihoods, and ecological balance.
Today, San Jose del Monte has become one of the fastest-growing urban centers in Bulacan. Housing developments, roads, commercial establishments, and infrastructure projects continue to reshape the land.
Progress is important. Growth is necessary. Development can improve lives.
Yet the Full Moon encouraged me to ask another question:
How do we balance urban development with environmental sustainability?
When farms disappear entirely, communities become more dependent on food imported from elsewhere. When forests are removed, water retention decreases. When rivers become stressed, communities become vulnerable to both drought and flooding.
A healthy city is not one that merely grows outward. A healthy city is one that grows wisely.
I offered prayers that past leaders, whose efforts helped establish and elevate San Jose del Monte through different stages of its history, may continue to inspire present and future leaders toward policies that create harmony between economic development, environmental protection, and community welfare.
A Prayer for Water
One of the deepest concerns brought before Bathalang Maykapal was water security.
Across many communities, residents experience challenges related to water supply, especially during periods of extreme heat and drought. Water is not merely a convenience. It is a basic necessity and a fundamental element of life.
In prayer, I remembered the rains that refill reservoirs, replenish watersheds, nourish rivers, and restore groundwater systems. I asked that wisdom be granted to leaders, institutions, and citizens alike so that water resources may be protected, managed responsibly, and shared equitably.
A Prayer Beyond San Jose del Monte
My prayers did not stop at the boundaries of the city.
I also lifted up the people of Siargao and Dinagat Islands in Surigao del Norte, along with various provinces of Mindanao affected by drought, prolonged dry conditions, and the lingering consequences of El Niño.
Across many regions of the world, communities are experiencing the extremes of climate disruption.
In some places, there is too little water.
In others, there is too much.
Drought dries rivers, wells, and farmlands. Crops fail. Livestock suffer. Communities face increasing food insecurity.
At the same time, massive flooding devastates cities and rural areas alike. Flash floods wash away homes, infrastructure, and livelihoods. Families lose everything in a matter of hours.
Recent years have shown us alarming examples of these extremes. Severe floods in parts of Asia, including Nepal and China, have demonstrated how vulnerable communities are to increasingly intense rainfall events. Scientists have also warned that warming temperatures accelerate the melting of glaciers and mountain ice reserves. As glaciers retreat, they can destabilize mountain landscapes, increase the risk of glacial lake outburst floods, and disrupt long-term freshwater supplies for millions of people.
Climate change is no longer a distant possibility.
It is already reshaping ecosystems, weather patterns, food systems, and human societies.
Prayers for the Nations
As part of the ritual, we also entrusted to Bathalang Maykapal the peoples of:
- India
- Afghanistan
- Indonesia
- Malaysia
- Kyrgyzstan
- Tajikistan
- Nigeria
- Malawi
- United States
- Spain
- Italy
Despite our differences in nationality, culture, language, and religion, all people share the same Earth, breathe the same air, and depend upon the same planetary systems for survival.
The challenges faced by one region increasingly affect the entire world.
Remembering Why We Are Here
Perhaps the deepest realization that emerged during the Full Moon Ritual was this:
Human beings have forgotten that we are only temporary travelers upon the Earth.
We build cities as though they will last forever.
We consume resources as though they are endless.
We act as though we own the planet.
Yet we arrived here as guests, and one day we shall leave.
The Earth existed before us and, if cared for properly, will continue after us.
The forests, rivers, mountains, oceans, and creatures of the Earth are not merely resources. They are sacred relatives within the great web of life.
As I stood beneath the Full Moon, I felt called to offer a prayer of humility:
“Bathalang Maykapal, forgive us for the harm we have caused through greed, neglect, arrogance, and indifference. Teach us again how to live in harmony with one another and with the Earth that sustains us.”
A Call to Action for Global Citizens
Prayer is important, but prayer must be accompanied by action.
Every person can contribute to the healing of the world:
- Conserve water and protect local watersheds.
- Plant trees and support reforestation efforts.
- Reduce waste and practice responsible consumption.
- Support sustainable agriculture and local farmers.
- Protect rivers, creeks, forests, and natural habitats.
- Hold leaders and institutions accountable for environmental stewardship.
- Educate younger generations about caring for nature.
- Choose compassion over greed and cooperation over division.
The future of humanity depends not only on technological advancement but also on spiritual maturity.
The Earth does not need more conquerors.
The Earth needs more caretakers.
As the Moon in Pisces illuminated the sky and the Sun in Virgo illuminated the path of service, may we remember our sacred responsibility to one another, to our communities, and to Mother Earth.
May Bathalang Maykapal guide humanity toward wisdom, balance, and healing.
For the rivers. For the forests. For the farmers. For the future generations. For all beings who call this Earth home.