Posts by Contributor

When the Philippines started implementing lockdowns due to the pandemic last year, the tourism industry was among those hardly hit. Siete Pecados Marine Park (SPMP), a 153-hectare community-managed eco-tourism spot in Coron, Palawan, was no exception. Since quarantine restrictions were put in place last year, SPMP has not generated income, even during the summer months…

Kung ayaw may dahilan; kung gusto palaging mayroong paraan. This Filipino proverb ignited Imus National High School (INHS) to act as it heeds the need to address the inevitable implications of climate change in the country through their school-based environmental projects. Jonard Saria, INHS School Property Custodian and Overseer of the Green School Program, shared…

07 July 2021, Quezon City—The Climate Reality Project Philippines, in partnership with the Hawaii-based East-West Center and youth-led environmental group Wavefarers, is inviting young climate advocates to submit project proposals to “Project Niche: Advocacy Pitch.” Launched last July 5, Project Niche aims to empower the youth to conceptualize and implement community-based projects on climate action…

For the past decades, there has been continuous degradation of the wetland ecosystem, which is why a form of rehabilitation was needed in order to preserve them. In 2007, Las Piñas-Parañaque Critical Habitat and Ecotourism Area (LPPCHEA) in Manila Bay was established by virtue of a Presidential Proclamation to protect the critical state of the area’s…

Rows of colorful flowers made from recycled plastic bottles would greet Azaleah Pascual every time she walked around her home barangay in Cabanatuan City. There was not a piece of trash or plastic straw in sight.  However, taking a leisurely stroll around Barangay Pagas was quite different today compared to seven years ago.  “Dati, hindi…

College instructor Anthony Rapista had studied and worked in Marikina City for eight years. Now that he lives in Rodriguez, Rizal, he couldn’t help but compare the two places, especially when it comes to environmental policies.   “Isa sa mga progresibong lungsod sa National Capital Region [ang Marikina]. Malinis ang kapaligiran, maayos ang paligid at…

Tanza, a little town in Cavite, now faces a drastic depletion of fish stocks. Fish catch has declined continuously and is likely to fall further. The culprit is the climate breakdown, affecting the town’s fisheries industry. Most of all, the crisis targets the income and livelihood of both small fisherfolks and fish sellers. For Arceli…

The risks imposed on garbage collectors are seemingly increasing, yet another problem emerged on solid waste management due to the pandemic: improper disposal of biomedical wastes.  Environmental frontliners continue to battle with their lives as signages were posted in streets saying: “Ilagay sa tamang tapunan ang ginamit mong facemask,” following the growing problem on how…

If there is one good thing that came out of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is the positive impact the limited movement of people for at least a year has given the environment: A chance to breathe, to recharge, and to heal. In the Apo Reef Natural Park in Occidental Mindoro, for example, the number of…

Deedee often goes to the community market in Barangay San Cristobal to buy produce for the week. On her way home, her mouth waters upon smelling the appetizing cooked food wafting beyond her subdivision’s gates. However, her appetite is ruined by the stench of the creek nearby. Not only was her appetite ruined,  but her…