Conserving the environment, transforming lives
WWF-Philippines celebrates 20th anniversary
THE WORLD WIDE FUND FOR NATURE ( WWF), a global nongovernmental organization devoted to the conservation of nature and empowerment of local communities, involved itself in conservation efforts for the Philippines way back in 1969 when it helped fund the conservation of the Philippine Eagle, saving it from jeopardy.
A band of eminent personalities — Jaime Zobel, Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, Carlos Soriano, Celso Roque, Vince Perez and Romy Trono — decided to put together an associate organization that would function as a partner of WWF, which had previously opened an office in Manila. The organization, called Kabang Kalikasan ng Pilipinas (KKP), was established in 1996 and, in the same year, was officially inducted as associate member to the global WWF network. The following year, KKP became known as the World Wide Fund for Nature ( WWF-Philippines).
Since then, the organization has grown into an influential player in the quest to protect the country’s biodiversity. Concurrently, its areas of interest have increased in scope — from climate change solutions to the conservation of species and the protection of food and water sources.
Its mission, however, has remained the same: stop and eventually reverse the accelerating degradation of the Philippine environment and build a future where Filipinos live in harmony with nature. “The intent is to make sure conservation or environmental initiatives would benefit communities,” said Jose Angelito Palma, president of WWF-Philippines.
Over two decades, WWF-Philippines has initiated and overseen a great number of projects in partnership with local communities, local government units, donors and other institutions. Though these projects are a success, Mr. Palma would rather call them the “highlights” as doing so suggests that their job is far from over.
Donsol, Sorsogon is one of the sites of such projects. The third-class municipality is famous for hosting one of the largest aggregations of whale sharks, the largest species of fish on Earth, which attracts thousands of local and foreign tourists wishing to witness the majestic creatures.
WWF- Philippines has worked together with various stakeholders, including the local government of Donsol, to formulate a community- based Whale Shark Ecotourism program, which lays out whale interaction guidelines in the area. This program has been instrumental in generating jobs for the locals and lifting the economy of the municipality. “It’s a classic example that doing conservation work can have inclusive benefits not only to specific beneficiaries that are engaged directly in the program,” Mr. Palma said. Donsol now earns the equivalent of what a first-class municipality would earn.
Found in the heart of Sulu Sea, or the heart of the Sulu Sea itself, as Mr. Palma put it, Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park is one of the world’s most productive and complex ecosystems. In 1988, it was declared a national marine park, shielding it from the damages produced by unsustainable fishing practices. It is currently under the management of the Tubbataha Management Office, which WWF-Philippines has helped institutionalized, Mr. Palma said.
Cagayancillo, a sixth-class municipality in Palawan composed of a number of islands, is also found in the vast waters of the Sulu Sea. The inhabitants of Cagayancillo used to fish in Tubbataha. With WWF-Philippines and its allies keeping an eye on the park, the people of Cagayancillo get to catch more fish in the waters they’re legally allowed to enter since healthy reefs mean plenty of fish.
These two initiatives alone demonstrate that protecting the environment and enriching people’s lives at the same time are within the bounds of possibility. Among the other projects that WWFPhilippines has spearheaded include promoting renewable energy sources; supporting sustainable livelihoods; increasing the population of endangered species; and protecting local watersheds.
WWF-Philippines is also urging commercial entities to go beyond the traditional corporate social responsibility route to tackling environmental issues by integrating sustainability practices into their operations. To Mr. Palma, the latter is the “mature approach.”
The organization credits the tremendously beneficial changes that have occurred in manifold habitats and communities in different parts of the country not to its own efforts but to its partnerships. “Nothing can be achieved without partnerships,” Mr. Palma said. “We’re only as good as our partners. If you train and work with good partners, you’ll have good results.” The partnership the organization forges is rooted in understanding. “When we go to a site, we ask them what are their problems, what are their needs, and that’s where we start,” Mr. Palma said.
In the face of increasingly complex ecological problems, it is in this type of collaboration which WWF- Philippines concentrates on. “The more we work together, the more we can achieve for our habitats, for our species, our environment, and eventually for the future of the Philippines,” Mr. Palma concluded.