The world is watching

I have been to the famed Masungi – that rustic rock garden and conservation area nestled perfectly in the Sierra Madre mountain range in Baras, Rizal – not once but several times over the past several years.

So I’ve seen up close the work of the Masungi Georeserve Foundation led by sisters Ann and Billie Dumaliang.

As conservationists and co-founders of the Foundation, Ann and Billie made it to TIME Magazine’s 2024 Next Generation Leaders List, which TIME describes as “a prestigious recognition that celebrates ten trailblazers from around the globe who are leading with empathy, challenging the status quo and forging solutions for a brighter future.”

It’s a recognition that is very well-deserved. The Dumaliang sisters are, after all, a tireless duo who have risked life and limb protecting the 6,600-acre Masungi conservation site and one of the Philippines’ most critical watersheds – the Upper Marikina Watershed.

It’s no secret that the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Foundation are in a deadlock of sorts over an existing agreement that allowed the Dumaliangs and their team to take charge of the area.

They have protected and continue to protect the area from physical and legal threats, including those from property developers, loggers and even some local government officials.

“While the Philippines consistently ranks as the deadliest country in Asia for environmental defenders, the Dumaliangs and their more than 80 rangers haven’t been deterred by physical or legal threats – whether from property developers, poachers, loggers or the government. They’ve been targeted by disinformation and harassment campaigns, and this year the Philippine environment department announced plans to nullify the agreement that allowed Billie and Ann’s team to reforest and conserve the area, citing supposed constitutional issues. The sisters are open to renegotiating with the government, but they also say they’re more than ready to take their battle to court,” TIME said.

Toward the future

This year’s list of next generation leaders shows that leading the future can often mean working to protect and preserve the past.

That is what the Masungi Georeserve Foundation has been doing even as it has constantly been threatened by land encroachment, illegal activities and deforestation.

No doubt, the Foundation’s work has not only restored large portions of the degraded watershed which I’ve seen myself. It has also inspired a new generation of environmental advocates as it constantly educates visitors on the importance of protecting this community. And no, it is not a resort.

What happens next is still anyone’s guess.

The wise thing to do is to allow the Foundation to continue with its work because what it has done for Masungi speaks for itself.

Other Philippine foundations, environmentalists, foreign governments and various other groups have recognized their efforts.

Last August, for instance, the Metrobank Foundation and GT Foundation Inc. turned over development grants to 32 partners, including the Masungi Georeserve Foundation.

Marie Remolona, the wife of Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Eli Remolona Jr., represented Masungi during the turnover ceremony, as she is deeply involved in the Foundation as a conservationist.

Even Academy Award-winning actor and environmental activist Leonardo DiCaprio has joined the growing calls for the protection of Masungi, imploring President Marcos to “intervene and continue to protect the Geopark.”

The world is watching indeed to see how the Philippines protects its environment and environmental defenders like the Dumaliang sisters.

TIME’s list is led by the charming Irish actress Nicola Coughlan of Bridgerton fame, who told the magazine, “You just have to keep going and can’t rest on your laurels.”

Indeed, like Nicola, Ann and Billie tirelessly continue with their work, and as Filipinos, so should we. We must do what we can to protect biodiversity hotspots like Masungi.

TIME’s recognition celebrates not just the sisters or Masungi but Filipinos and our ideals of creating a better environment for succeeding generations.

The Marcos administration, we hope, shares these ideals.

Phl, France hold Blue Talks

Speaking of biodiversity, the Philippines and France continue to strengthen their cooperation in ensuring marine conservation.

Last week, key government officials from the Philippines and local and foreign experts on biodiversity gathered together for the first of a series of biodiversity conferences or Blue Talks between the two countries.

I was supposed to attend the event, organized by the Stratbase ADR Institute, in partnership with the embassy of France in the Philippines, but I ended up missing it because of a last-minute conflict in my schedule.

But I’m happy to hear it was a success. Such discussions help raise awareness on the growing urgency for citizens to be involved in biodiversity conservation.

Blue Nations

French Ambassador to the Philippines Marie Fontanel explained that the Blue Talk conference is part of the Blue Nations initiative, a holistic program of bilateral cooperation between France and the Philippines in the perspective of working together as two maritime nations toward the next United Nations Ocean Conference, which will take place in France in June 2025.

She is also right in saying that biodiversity conservation is important “because the Philippines, an archipelagic state made up of more than 7,100 islands, maintains an existential link with the ocean.”

The development of a blue economy, for sure, is a crucial step toward sustainable growth and it’s good to get the support of France, which is a staunch advocate for ocean and marine biodiversity protection.

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Email: [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @eyesgonzales. Column archives at EyesWideOpen on FB.