Oposa: Making waves for change
A MULTIHYPHENATED changemaker, Anna R. Oposa is a freelance writer, public speaker, rescue diver and environmental advocate.
Anna’s activism for the environment started early. While taking up English Studies at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City, she represented the Philippines in the 35th Ship for Southeast Asian Youth Program, Denso Youth for Earth Action and the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Cancun, Mexico.
She is part of the British Council’s Global Changemakers, and serves as vice curator of the World Economic Forum’s Global Shapers Manila Hub. She was among the first Global Shapers to participate in the 2012 Annual Meeting held in Davos, Switzerland. Anna is also one of the 50 councilors of the World Future Council.
Her written works have been published in newspapers, magazines and websites. She cowrote a workbook for elementary schoolchildren titled “An Introduction to Climate Change for Filipinos.”
She also cofounded Save Philippine Seas, a movement to protect the world’s richest marine resources by harnessing the power of social media and lobbying for the enforcement of environmental laws.
Environmental conservation
On June 12, 2011, barely two months after graduating cum laude, Yahoo! Southeast Asia hailed then 23-year-old Anna as one of the seven inspiring modern-day Filipino heroes for her courageous efforts in environmental conservation. On March 22, 2012, she received the Future for Nature Award in The Netherlands. She is the first Filipino and youngest recipient of the prestigious award.
Environmental conservation is a relatively new concept for Filipinos, which makes Anna’s work trailblazing. But she never runs out of inspiration to keep on going.
At the moment, she is taking up a master’s degree in Conservation Science at Imperial College London on the Chevening scholarship.
Coping with pressure
To cope with the pressure, she makes time to take care of herself.
Anna also gets additional inspiration from the legacy of others, particularly Lea Salonga and Gang Badoy.
When asked what legacy she is building on, Anna is quick to answer. “My dreams for myself are tied to my dreams for the Philippines, so that’s where my motivation to build a legacy and gain credibility and experience comes from (thus, this yearlong master’s degree). I am working toward a Philippines where caring for the environment is no longer considered extraordinary but where it is the norm.
“That’s my big dream, and the projects and career decisions I make lead toward that, whether it’s an article I’m writing about ecotourism spots in the Philippines or establishing the first shark and ray sanctuary of the Philippines. At 27 years old, I have a long way to go!”
Eduque: Start building legacy
AS A SCION of one of the most influential families in the Philippines, Alex M. Eduque is far from being the typical young heiress. She spends most of her time living the legacy of her grandmother, Doña Consuelo “Chito” Madrigal, a distinguished banker and philanthropist, whose foundation believes in “philanthropy that creates productivity and charity that enables capability.”
“My grandmother (who passed away seven years ago) was larger than life. She was a modern-day hero not only to me, but also to a thousand more. She showed us what hard work, commitment, and dedication could yield. She exemplified the importance of discipline, the responsibility that comes with privilege, and that the true reflection of oneself is how he or she treats someone who could do nothing for them, and that it is in fact our duty to give back to the community and the country that has so generously provided for us,” Alex says.
Those are quite big shoes to fill but at 23, Alex certainly made her ancestors proud when she made a huge impact on her community and her country. Since volunteering with Habitat for Humanity Philippines eight years ago, she has founded (and chairs) the Habitat Youth Council. She is now an ambassador for Habitat and is helping to raise millions of dollars for the foundation. Her incredible efforts recently earned her two awards from the Resource Alliance at the International Fundraising Congress, which was held in Amsterdam.
Not one to sit on her laurels, Alex then founded Move.org Foundation in 2012, also called MovEd.
“My ‘work’ as a social advocate is a multifaceted one, in that, for the most part I have no fixed routine. On some days, you’ll find me in the MovEd headquarters (we advocate for early childhood education, care and development programs) brainstorming with the team and tending to administrative duties. On other days, I’m speaking about Habitat for Humanity, the nongovernment office which launched my love for helping the underserved and of which I am an ambassador,” Alex adds.
Despite the many pressing concerns related to the causes near and dear to her, Alex maintains a relative flexibility and control over her time, and makes sure she spends quality time with her loved ones on a regular (almost daily) basis.
A full schedule also doesn’t stop Alex from looking into new collaborations, partnerships and avenues that can further perpetuate her vision and/or enhance her skills and creativity. She says that she gets her inspiration “from family, friends, my boyfriend, my pets, the team I work with who constantly have new ideas on how we can move forward with our vision, and of course, the children and families we work with who remind us everyday why we want to do more.”
Asked what she wants for her personal legacy, Alex shares: “I want to be able to inspire others to do something in their everyday lives that’s channeled toward the common good.
“I think the best way to inspire or to lead is to do it by example,” Alex says.
All these women say they look up to Philip Stein endorser and global Filipino woman, Lea Salonga, who has served as an inspiration in thrusting them to excel in their chosen paths.