THE WORLD Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Philippines has long banked on partnerships to promote its science-based solutions for climate change, forest degradation and other ecological concerns.

 

Last Nov. 3, WWF-Philippines paid homage to its allies via Partners’ Night, held at the Raffles and Fairmont Makati.

 

WWF-Philippines national ambassadors Marc Nelson and Rovilson Fernandez hosted the affair while WWF-Philippines Forest and Watershed steward Piolo Pascual serenaded guests.

 

WWF-Philippines honored its outgoing National Advisory Council chair, Jaime Augusto Zobel, for his valuable support, and outgoing WWF-Philippines Board of Trustees chair, Vincent Pérez, for his leadership.

 

Pérez turned over the chairmanship to WWF-Philippines board member and Far Eastern University chair Aurelio Montinola III.

 

Environmental Leadership Awards were handed out. Recognized were Arthaland Corp., BDO Unibank, Bank of the Philippine Islands and BPI Foundation, Cebu Pacific Air, Century Pacific Food, Costa Del Hamilo, Far Eastern University, Fox International Channels, Banana Peel, Philips Electronics and Lighting, Republic Cement Services Philippines, Samsung Electronics Philippines, Sun Life Financial Philippines Foundation, Yuchengco Group of Companies, Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corp., Grieg Foundation and Pascual Laboratories.

 

Envi heroes

 

WWF-Philippines also named new Heroes of the Environment.

 

Ingemar Macarine is a Bohol-based lawyer, election officer, triathlete and pioneer in solo channel swimming in the Philippines. Dubbed the Pinoy Aquaman, Ingemar has swum the open waters of the Visayas and Mindanao to raise awareness about the need to protect Philippine seas.

 

Meanwhile, the indigenous Taw’buid Mangyan of Mindoro were awarded for their unrelenting efforts to help conserve the tamaraw, the world’s rarest buffalo specie.

 

Gerlie Menchie Alpajora, a fisheries champion who was gunned down last July for her work in combating illegal fishing in Camarines Sur, was honored.

 

Special awards were also given to select WWF-Philippines partners. Althea Torralba and Jessica Guerrero were recognized as WWF-Philippines’ Most Outstanding Fundraisers for 2015.

 

“Individually, we are but one drop,” said Montinola. “Collectively, we are an ocean. We need to work together to help transform the Philippines into a living space that our children will appreciate.”