It’s with great sadness that after more than two years I leave my work as RTI’s governance specialist for the SIBOL project. It was a challenging time working, under a raging pabdemic, for this 5-year USAID-funded innovative biodiversity conservation program that is trying to strengthen natural resource governance in our country’s key protected areas in Palawan, Siargao and Masinloc-Oyon Bay by improving science-based decision making and expanding inclusive private-community participation in sustainably managing our forests and coastal areas. It was a privilege to work with the best and the brightest minds and practitioners in conservation science, resource economics and valuation, innovative preventive enforcement, carbon reduction and resource governance in the country. Thank you to the RTI project and field team for sharing your expertise, knowledge, experience, patience, and understanding as well as giving me a chance to contribute to this urgent and critical endeavour. it was a blast! See you all again…on the other side.
Wow! Hope more companies with retail space/malls follow and expand their own RE/carbon emission reduction program —-SM, Ayala, Double Dragon, Megworld, VistaLand…and green spaces..
Robinsons Land continues to intensify its commitment to a sustainable future by aiming to make all Robinsons Malls use clean energy.
At the heart of its sustainability program is the installation of solar panels, use of clean renewable energy sources, installation of water conservation and recycling facilities, the incorporation of energy-saving features in the design of the malls, and solid waste management systems.
“We are continuously and actively looking for ways to adopt sustainability in all areas of our businesses. RLC’s move to make our malls energy self-sufficient through solar power is one of the many ways by which we are harnessing renewable energy sources to reduce our carbon footprint,” says Frederick D. Go, President and CEO of Robinsons Land.
Read more: https://lnkd.in/eAMK9j9J
I am very grateful for the opportunity to share our voice from a small island local government in the Pacific and to echo the issues of more island local governments all over the world. We are the most affected by climate change and we hope thru ICLEI and our partners, we can build stronger island communities.
My supporters and friends on LinkedIn, wherever you are across our beautiful Philippines or around the world, I thank you for your support.
Two more days until we can move beyond our polarized past and build a better country.
Pilipinas, God First! 👆🇵🇭👆🇵🇭👆🇵🇭👆🇵🇭👆
Please play with sounds on!
(Recorded today, 7 May 2022, City of Manila)
#hope #future #economy #politics #unity #letsdothis #philippines #filipinos #president #southeastasia #asiapacific #indopacific #security #economicdevelopment #management #results #betterfuture
We can talk all we want in international fora, fancy webinars and national summits on sustainable and resilient cities and yet the reality on the ground is that uncontrolled urban development, mostly initiated by real estate developers, are the ones dictating the type of urban growth, sprawl and direction in our midst. This video of our plane’s landing approach shows the urban sprawl from Batangas, Laguna and Cavite to NAIA Terminal 2.
It gives you a sense of satisfaction working with women survivors of Typhoon Odette in Siargao share survival and resilience lessons learned after their harrowing experience during and post-disaster. One of the participants shared they prepared for flooding and killer waves because of the lessons of Yolanda but not for devastating winds. Now they know better and have grown wiser. You cannot fight nature but you can learn to live with it.
Exactly 3 months after Typhoon Odette (international code: Rai) literally erased the beautiful surfing island mecca of Siargao in Surigao del Norte, the recovery and rehabilitation of its people is a long and painful one. While economic life is slowly coming back with resorts and tourists trickling in, there seems to be no national effort, except for the ecosystems restoration and recovery work of the DENR, and funding support similar to that done for Yolanda in Leyte and Sendong in Cagayan de Oro to push Siargao island and surrounding areas like Dinagat island province to get back on its feet. Locals and NGOs/CSOs we talked too said that even international NGOs and donors, who scrambled to have a presence in the island at the early days after the disaster have virtually left the island in the immense task of building back better. Local governments are literally left on their own and efforts, are mired in petty politics specially because of the coming May 2022 elections. The only saving grace as always with previous disaster experience in the country is the tenacity, persistence and drive of the local people, businesses and sectors and support of ordinary citizens, former visitors and charitable/church groups who have visited Siargao in the past. They are the main reason that Siargao and Dinagat will rise up again regardless of the politics, time needed and challenges. Salute to them all! #BangonSiargao
To quote from the Statement of the University of the Philippines Manila community:
"We are all concerned in the UP Manila community, including the UP College of Medicine and the Philippine General Hospital that another doctor practicing in the underserved areas where we have asked our graduates to serve is again being maligned and red tagged. We still remember with sadness and anger the deaths of our own graduates: Dr. Bobby De la Paz, Dr. Johnny Escandor, and Dr. Lou Tangco. We pray this does not happen to Dr. Naty. May justice be served and her rights under the rule of law be respected and upheld."
Read more: https://lnkd.in/gQwhYSsM
