The Asian Eco Warriors You Shoud Know

A. Chit Juan
Chit is a pillar of the slow-food
movement in Asia, building
connections between producers
and consumers, and championing
organic farming and the
preservation of heritage foods.
She’s also the president and cochair
of the Philippine Coffee Board and
the brains behind EchoStore, a
sustainable lifestyle retailer.
 During a stint as secretary of the Philippine
B. Gina Lopez
Department of Environment and Natural Resources,
Gina fought against open-pit mining and its
devastating environmental impact. Despite being
voted out of office for her efforts, in October 2017 she
became the first Filipino to win the Seacology Prize,
which honours individuals working to preserve the
environment. Her achievements include the
rehabilitation of Manila’s polluted Pasig River and the
transformation of the once-threatened La Mesa
Watershed into an eco-park.
Gina’s Investments in Loving Organisations for Village
Economies (iLOVE) Foundation recently launched the
Quest for Love initiative to support and mentor other
NGOs in achieving their goals.
C. Illac Diaz
• With just a disposable plastic bottle and a few
basic household items, Illac discovered he
could bring light into the homes of the
Philippines’ poorest. Illac’s Liter of Light
initiative now provides low-cost sustainable
lighting solutions to more than 353,000
homes in 15 countries. In January, he made it
into Guinness World Records for teaching the
world’s largest class on sustainability (there
were 280 students in the room).
• That’s not all, Illac’s overarching social
enterprise, the My Shelter Foundation, which
won the Zayed Future Energy Prize in 2015, is
always looking for ways to lift Filipinos out of
poverty through sustainable grassroots
businesses.
D. Anna Oposa
Don’t let her quirky job title fool you, the chief
mermaid (and co-founder) of Save Philippine Seas
is set on protecting her country’s precious marine
resources. Anna’s conservation initiatives include
the Shark Shelter Project on Malapascua Island,
the annual Sea and Earth Advocates Camp for
young people, and Earth education. This program
trains teachers in educating their students about
environmental issues.
That’s not all, the eco-warrior has acted as a
consultant on environmental matters for the Asian
Development Bank and the Climate Change
Commission.
E. Vincent Perez
In 2001, Vincent became the youngest person to
serve as secretary of the Philippine Department
of Energy (he was 42), where he pushed for
reforms that boosted energy self-sufficiency and
promoted clean energy. He went on to found
renewable energy company Alternergy Partners,
and co-founded Solar Pacific, which provides
clean energy through solar power to off-grid
communities in the region, and is behind energy
advisory firm Merritt Partners. He has been also
involved with WWF-Philippines for more than
20 years and is currently a member of the board
of WWF International.
References

https://ph.asiatatler.com/society/50-eco-warriors-you-should know