Earth Day 2024: 6 Filipino eco-warriors you must know

This geology professor penned I Am the Change in Climate Change, a children's book which briefly examines and explores how sustainability and climate change can be tackled by an individual. Her book, which was recognised by the Book Development Association Philippines at the Gintong Aklat Awards 2022, contains interactive activities, environmental lessons, and illustrations by members of Ang Ilustrador ng Kabataan, a local association of artists.  

“I was approached by the non-profit Center for Art, New Ventures, and Sustainable Development (CANVAS) about writing a book on climate change in collaboration with Ang Ilustradot ng Kabataan (Ang INK),” Alampay says, disclosing how her book came to be. CANVAS, whose main mission is to give away books to children, has so far distributed the books to about 25,000 readers in the Philippines. The contents of the book take after Alampay’s dedication to her job as a geologist and her interest in fossils. “The perspective of the talk is from a geologist’s lens. In the latter part of the story, I had to think about what message can be given to people given that global warming is already upon us and is almost impossible to stop in our lifetimes,” she says. 

Related: Eco-Warriors: Dr Alyssa Peleo-Alampay on making topics of sustainability and climate change accessible to children

She is a woman whose life is dedicated to preserving the environment. This is evident in her more than two decades of experience in leading and working with organisations that promote sustainability, conservation, and eco-friendly practices.

From 1997 to 2002, Ibay worked as an attorney for the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) in the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR); she was also a climate change attache at the British Embassy in the Philippines from 2009 to 2010. Her stint as Climate Change Energy Programme head at the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) began in 2010 and at present, she serves as the National Director of Earth Hour Philippines.

Her dedication extends beyond national borders. She is an active member of the Philippine delegation to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

Among her long list of environmental efforts is pushing for programmes such as the Beahrs Environmental Leadership Program and the Renewables Academy.

More from Tatler: Eco-Warriors: Atty Angela Consuelo Ibay on finding the middle ground when defending the environment in court

Born into the humble abode of a farmer, this young engineer blended his agricultural roots and inventive flair. In 2021, Bantugon was recognised by the prestigious James Dyson Awards committee for coming up with a sustainable, two-component sealant during his internship for an aviation company. 

The sealant, which he dubbed 'Pili Seal,' is made from waste material particularly the waste of Pili Tree Resin which is otherwise known as “spent resin” or “de-oiled resin”. The waste of Pili Tree Resin acts as the base material for aircraft integral fuel tank sealant production. Through the mixing of the base and a hardener material, the sealant can properly function as a sealing material and is applicable for aircraft parts such as the integral fuel tank and components that are subjected to contact with aircraft fuel, lubricants, oil, water, and weathering. In terms of application, performance, and efficacy, Pili Seal is found to have exceeded data results of commercial sealants from over 20 property tests ranging from physical, chemical, mechanical, and thermal to rheological.

One of his greatest motivations for this project is his farmer father. “His job as a local farmer exposed me to a variety of plants, animals, trees, and waste materials,” Bantugon tells Tatler. “My father’s farm work also allowed me to establish a good foundation in education, particularly in experimental-based research which is aligned with agriculture and sustainability. Being the son of a local farmer never stopped me from dreaming and pursuing a passion that can make a difference and change lives. I always remind myself that 'all my dreams are valid,' this invention started as a dream and has now become a reality all because of perseverance, passion, action, and heart.”

See also: Eco-Warriors: Engr Mark Bantugon on his James Dyson award-winning invention and its impact on aeronautics

In 2021, more than a thousand bicycles were donated through Ho’s Donate A Bike, Save A Job project. At the time, the athlete-turned-TV reporter sought to aid people who lost their jobs during the Covid-19 pandemic. “Since I didn’t want to give out food or anything consumable, I decided to focus my resources on procuring and giving away bicycles,” she says.

In 2021, Ho and her team recognised that the impact of their bicycle donations could be amplified with the proper infrastructure. They shifted their focus from solely distributing bicycles to collaborating with the LGUs of various cities to establish bike lanes and parking spaces. This shift in strategy attracted the attention of their boss, Manny V Pangilinan, who donated an additional 700 bicycles to the cause. “With the MVP Group, the project became a larger movement with a bigger pull,” Ho explains, highlighting the power of collective action.

A sustainable principle guides Ho’s advocacy work: for any initiative to be truly effective, it must benefit all parties involved. She believes in the importance of maintaining a balance in her work, ensuring that all aspects of the project are taken care of. “That’s why I take good care of all sides of the equation,” she says, emphasising the need to prevent donor fatigue and ensure the longterm success of her initiatives.

In case you missed it: Eco-Warriors: Gretchen Ho on how much difference in society can donating a bicycle make

In her two-decade stint as a journalist, Albano learnt the importance of verified, science-based information in the fight against environmental crisis. “Climate change is no joke, and worse, it is not in some distant future. It is already here,” she shares with Tatler. “There is so much disinformation and greenwashing swirling around, we all need verified and factual information to help us make sense of it all.”

She adds that a journalist must bridge the gap between science and the masses. “This is where we come in. From helping explain ‘weird weather’ and things like ‘net zero’ and the importance of the 1.5C limit of the Paris Agreement, to helping understand how things like consumption, transportation and food waste contribute to climate change, journalists can help clarify and enlighten the public,” she says. “Climate change is an enormous, overwhelming intersectional issue and if anything, journalists can give us a starting point to understanding all of it.”

“I thought I needed to become a ‘real’ climate journalist reporting on the science, the policies, the disasters, and whatnot. After OCJN, I learnt I could remain in lifestyle and still report on climate; to quote one of my OCJN managers, ‘climate journalism isn’t a beat but an angle’.” 

“After OCJN, I became a lifestyle journalist with a better grasp of the problem,” she says.  “Climate and climate change affect us in a myriad of ways; I have been reporting on art, entertainment, and consumption with climate as an angle, that’s how I am marrying climate with my role as editor for lifestyle verticals.” 

Among Albano’s most notable reports is Presence of Microplastics in Metro Manila which revealed that more than 800 cubic metres of air in the National Capital Region contain a total of 155 suspended atmospheric microplastics for 12 hours a day. 

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