Manna Vargas

Policy Researcher, Oscar M. Lopez Center for Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Management Foundation

My childhood dream was to be a marine biologist. My dream now is that what I’m doing now —making people more aware and building our resilience against climate change — will affect our world and one day climate change will be infused all throughout society, where it’s not something that’s debated about.

Success means being content with who I am and knowing that I didn’t get to this place by stepping on anyone else.

My business icon is definitely my mom. She’s the embodiment of a very strong and independent woman. She’s one of the few women in the family to take on the reins of the business (in ABS-CBN and the Lopez Museum).

The best thing my parents (Vicente Vargas and Cedie Lopez-Vargas), taught me is not to be dependent on anyone else but myself. Not in the sense that you’re so anti-man, but in the sense of knowing that even if you don’t end up with a partner, you’ll be fine. Having your own money, being able to stand on your own two feet. The best part of my job is that I get to read a lot. Legacy to me is being of service to the communities and the societies that are part of the family business. It’s always having a social responsibility to the communities that basically keep our business alive. In 30 years, I’d like the Philippines to evolve by having a full understanding of what climate change means for the country, not just for me and the people who work in this field, but for everyone, because the people who’ll be most vulnerable to climate change are the people who can’t adapt to it.