SUSTAINABILITY Into the Wild

Pillars of WWF Philippines share their excitement about the upcoming months and tell us why their Annual Conference, which will be held in Palawan, is so important

- Ryanne Stephanie Cheng Co

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Philippines is often top-of-mind for leaders and activists concerned with the environment. An international organisation that operates in close to 100 countries, WWF works to uplift local communities and conserve the natural resources that they depend upon. With more than half a million individual supporters in Asia—and five million across the globe—it is no surprise that WWF wields a lot of influence.

The Philippine chapter of WWF has been at the frontlines of conservation since 1997, and many have stepped in to helm the organisation. Vince Perez, chairman of Altnergy and the former Philippine Energy Secretary, first came across WWF as a banker. Back then, he was in charge of an initiative doing debt-for-nature swaps, where creditors forgive debts in return for government commitment to invest in the environment. After some time, Perez found himself becoming more and more hands-on with the organisation. “Then in [the Nineties], WWF gathered the Ayala family, the Soriano family, and myself, and we jump started WWF Philippines,” he explains. “Eventually, we opened an office here. At the time, our main focus was marine conservation.”

Today, WWF centres itself on four broad areas in conservation: sustainable consumption, energy transition, habitats and sustainable production. From managing food waste and plastics to championing marine conservation and renewable energy, WWF Philippines strives for comprehensive and extensive environmental support. Aurelio Montinola III, who succeeded Perez as chairman of the board, has seen WWF’s transition from mission to mainstream. “In the past, it was a mission,” Montinola explains. “Today, it is a global phenomenon.”