Let love rule
WHEN the Beatles sang about love being all that we need, many thought it was just an offshoot of them living in the flower power era.
Bu there is truth to the lyrics, as Gina Lopez herself attests.
Known to many simply prior as the daughter Eugenio M. López Jr., chairman emeritus of ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corporation, Gina has since created her own niche as staunch environmentalist and as sincere and generous humanitarian.
She is still at it.
No, it is not because she is a Beatle fanatic; she sincerely believes that, well, all we need is love.
“Because love is the greatest thing,” she says. “Because with love everything is possible.”
She walks her talk too, launching “Quest For Love,” a nationwide search for communities eager to start sustainable businesses for Investments in Loving Organizations or Village Economies (I LOVE), a foundation she heads herself.
They found eight: Lake Sebu Indigenous Women Weavers Association from South Cotabato that proposed to establish a heritage village for the T’boli tribe to drive economic development in the community; Health Futures Foundations, Inc., also from South Cotabato, that wants to setup a wellness village for the Bla’an tribe; Zamboanga’s Yellow Boat of Hope Foundation, which presented an ecotourism initiative for the benefit of the SamaBangui tribe; Maguindanao’s Busikong Greenland Multi-purpose Cooperative that will build a center for integrated organic farming to help reduce poverty in the ARMM; and Bukidnon’s Federation of KapeMaramag, which hopes to provide marketing and employment opportunities for Maramag coffee farmers.
Completing the list is Sorsogon’s Aggrupation of Advocates for Environmental Protection that proposed various ecotourism projects like a marine sanctuary and beach park in Bulusan; Benguet’s
University of Cordilleras that wants to promote sustainable agroecotourism for the community; and Tawi Tawi’s Mindanao State University that intends to promote Simunul Island as a tourist destination.
Gina says, “Although the Philippines boasts of a 6.7% GDP growth and is seen to be one of the top three fastest growing economies in Asia, the robust growth has not trickled down to remote areas of the country where fishermen, farmers, indigenous people and those in conflict areas continue to suffer from neglect. Now, with the help of others including private institutions, local government units, government agencies and ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya’s Bantay Kalikasan, with this project, we will be able to empower them into becoming catalysts for the change they want in their lives.”
The eight communities will soon be featured on season 3 of “G Diaries” a reality show hosted by Gina, that will start airing March 3, 10 a.m. on ABS-CBN.
The show will also be seen globally with the former Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) secretary and Fox International Channel senior vice president and general manager Jude Turcuato signing a memorandum of agreement that will allow “G Diaries” exposure through Nat Geographic Channel (NAT GEO).