On July 11, 2025, the State of the Philippine Environment Forum brought together students, advocates, diplomats, and members of the media at the University of the Philippines College of Engineering Theater. The forum unpacked the realities facing our ecosystems—from our forests and watersheds to...
The view from Masungi is both hope and heartbreak: regrowth in one place, emptiness in the rest. An urgent question echoes: Where have the forests gone? It’s a question that hits close to home. This June, the World Resources Institute and Google DeepMind, through Global Forest Watch, revealed an...
Masungi Georeserve conservationist Ann Dumaliang is the sole Filipino chosen by the World Economic Forum to join its Young Global Leaders (YGL) Class of 2025. Thousands of entries from esteemed individuals below age 40 across various sectors compete in a rigorous process, with the Forum of YGLs...
Community women in 35 key forest countries lack protection but work day and night to protect the world’s treasures. Laws respecting their land and forest rights are still "alarmingly weak" decades after governments worldwide vowed to advance gender equality, a report out March 2025 found....
As a newly married bride, I faced the challenge of balancing aesthetics with sustainability. Unfortunately, sustainable event options were not widely available from suppliers and planners. So, we had to build our wedding from the ground up with sustainability in mind. While it wasn’t perfect, we...
Once a land barren of trees, it is now reclaiming its natural balance. It took decades to reforest this georeserve tucked in Rizal, where land grabbers, illegal loggers are repelled by rangers and two sisters who share a passion for preservation. Their mission? To keep the threats at bay. Ann...
My recent participation at the UN Land Conference, officially known as the UN Convention to Combat Desertification and Drought (UNCCD) 16th Conference of Parties, was nothing short of productive and eventful. As a UNCCD Land Hero for 2024 to 2026, I was privileged to speak on behalf of youth...
Farwiza Farhan (Photo courtesy: Earth Island Institute) Standing up for the environment can often feel like a lonely battle. Yet, moments of connection with fellow conservationists remind us that we are not alone. When Farwiza Farhan’s team reached out, excited to visit the Masungi...
(Photo by Jilson Tiu/Time) Masungi Georeserve co-founders Ann and Billie Dumaliang have been cited in Time Magazine's Next Generation Leaders 2024 list. The title honors their work protecting the conservation area, which is home to indigenous communities, rich flora and fauna species, and...
New York Climate Week 2024 highlighted a truth often overlooked: True resilience is not just about bouncing back but evolving beyond the systems that have long kept communities, particularly in the Global South, from leading the charge on climate action. As we confront the escalating impacts...
Last week, I found myself working with cement and rocks to build a fish dome—a structure that will soon be placed in the ocean to aid the restoration of coral reefs. This was a new experience for me, as my work usually centers around forest conservation. Yet, this activity was equally engaging...
Yesterday, I had the privilege of participating in Sustainability Week at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) main office in Makati City, where I shared my experiences in environmental conservation. Initially, I was surprised by the invitation, as financial institutions had not previously...
