There is the late Maximo "Junie" Kalaw whose vision of a "greener" and more sustainable Philippines spawned a number of environmental projects including our own Philippines Habitat movement. And who will forget the courageous Mac-ling Dulag, the hero of the Cordillera region who led an advocacy group to protect ancestral domain by preventing the exploitation of the Chico River Dam? Then there is Marcelo Palaypay, the father of solid waste management who taught all of us the basics of composting. At that time which was the early 80s, he and Narda Camacho were moving around schools and community groups demonstrating the principles of garbage management. Narda has put out a useful manual on Solid Waste Management which gives information on how to recycle various types of wastes — paper, plastics, cans, glass, innovative technologies that can be used, management of bio-medical wastes, nationwide industrial waste exchange centers, city, municipal and barangay ordinances, and the role of local government units. Narda who is chairperson of the Unesco National Commission’s Science and Technology Committee has moved from the ground to the mountains where she leads a group which works with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the AFP North Luzon Command, the National Academy of Science and Technology and several NGOS in the restoration of the Sierra Madre Range.

Last Monday, a forum on the Sierra Madre Range restoration was presented with Narda as the moving spirit. Narda’s predecessor as Unesco chair of S & T was former DENR Undersecretary Dr. Delfin Ganapin who is now with the Global Environment Facility in New York. Del is a big loss but not really so when we think that in his strategic position at GEF, he is able to use his talents in helping attain the Millennium Development Goals where sustainability is a central theme. Our Unesco commission also misses Dr. Mike Fortes who was very much involved in the Puerto Galera project. Like Del he is in great demand as an international expert.

No one can match the passion of Odette Alcantara whose pilot project in Blue Ridge, Quezon City where she also resides, is now a famous showcase of a successful zero-waste environmental management project. Odette has moved on with other innovative programs all in the environmental movement.

Gina Lopez and her Bantay Kalikasan is behind the development of the beautiful park in La Mesa Dam and the Clean Air movement. A noted development management planner who won a prestigious Alternative Nobel Prize, Dr. Nicky Perlas is now in governance advocacy. In the early 80s, he started a model farm in Diliman where he successfully demonstrated sustainable farm practices.

Bebet Gozon, former DENR secretary is now with the World Bank. We worked with her on a Metro Manila Clean Air Project two years ago and was much impressed with her hands on approach and networking ability with NGO groups (where she started), industry, and government agencies. Atty. Antonio Oposa who is now guarding the Visayan seas gained fame in the Supreme Court case where he won for his advocacy on the rights of future generations. A mother-son team, Mayor Coring Acosta and Rep. Neric Acosta have confronted the problems of our environment at various fronts — in Congress (Neric was principal author of Clean Air and Water; Coring, during her term in Congress co-authored several bills related to environment), local government and cooperatives in Bukidnon.

Former Senator Loren Legarda with her Luntiang Pilipinas which planted a million trees in many sections in Metro Manila was honored by international environmental organizations. Former Senator Santanina Rasul organized the Bantay Dagats into becoming an effective advocacy group all over the country. Two environmental activists in local government — Mayor Eduard Hagedorn of Puerto Princesa and Mayor Mary Jane Ortega of San Fernando La Union have transformed not only the physical environment of their cities but also the mind-sets of their constituencies. Much of the credit for the success of Palawan as a model of ecotourism can be attributed to Mayor Hagedorn. Likewise, the advocacy for coastal resources management and clean air was spearheaded by the indefatigable Mayor Ortega.

From the business sector we have Dr. Cora Claudio and Grace Favila of the Philippine Business for the Environment. Cora who is an international consultant on risk management and communication and other environmental problems, is also working with indigenous peoples’ environmental rights; Grace’s advocacy now is in sustainable coastal tourism. There is also Lorie Tan, who is behind the successful advocacy of WWF Philippines. Dr. Ben Malayang who is now President of Silliman University prepared the Environmental Management Bureau Plan for 2007-2012 and remembers him as already very active in this field when we were together at the Development Academy in the late 70s. The Manila Observatory at the Ateneo campus in Quezon City under Fr. Daniel McNamara is an important partner of the environmental movement especially Clean Air.

Finally, there is the husband-wife team of Howie Severino and wife Ipat Luna and Che-che Lazaro president of Probe Productions who have advanced the cause of the environmental movement through their media advocacy. If I could write a Part II, I would also acknowledge the hundreds of forest rangers, Bantay Dagats (a number had been killed in the line of duty and should be honored posthumously), and members of the PENRO and CENRO (who provide environmental clearances and monitor enterprises to determine compliance with the law) who have worked behind the scenes to ensure a more sustainable future for the next generations. Please write to florbraid@yahoo.com