5th Philippine Environment Summit: Spotlighting Relief for a Planet in Grief

The forum commenced in anticipation of the upcoming 5th Philippine Environment Summit on February 19 to 21, 2025 at the Grand Xing Imperial Hotel in Iloilo City, co-convened by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and partnered with the Energy Development Corporation (EDC).

Victoria Segovia, President of Green Convergence, opened the forum with an overview of the current climate issues that need to be addressed, including effects of climate change on crop production, inflation, and “heatflation” which she related to the wildfire that has been destructing Los Angeles, United States of America.

Resource speakers were also invited to share their insights, especially on ground projects that will also be showcased in the summit.

Dr. Angelina Galang, Board Trustee of Green Convergence, provided an overview of the upcoming 5th Philippine Environment Summit, discussing the brief history of environmental initiatives throughout the years and connecting it to the causes that Philippine environmental summits push forward.

“We had always dreamed of reaching many, many people because one of our objectives is to have a critical mass of Filipinos working for the environment,” Dr. Galang expressed.

Green Convergence member Angeline Templonuevo then discussed soil health and its significance to protecting biodiversity and food security in an urban setting, with much emphasis on the role of soil microorganisms in maintaining healthy soils and sequestering carbon.

On the other hand, Edwina Garchitorena, Country Director of the Zoological Society of London, shared insights on the importance of blue carbon ecosystems in terms of ecosystem services.

Garchitorena gave an overview of what has been documented on mangrove and seagrass ecosystems throughout the years, including protection from storms, depletion of wave energy, help in fishery production, and preservation of food security—which explains the need to discuss the way mangroves and seagrass beds are used, conserved, rehabilitated, and restored.

Assistant Professor Dan William Martinez from Bataan Peninsula State University detailed the methods used in calculating the university’s energy audit and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, which include campus-wide and building-wide inventories.

Lastly, Rafaela Ramos, Project Development Officer from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Office of the Assistant Secretary for Policy, Planning, International Affairs, and Climate Change Department, shared her experiences when she attended the 4th Philippine Environment Summit back when she was a student, stating that being in the summit was a ‘unique,’ ‘valuable,’ and ‘once in a lifetime’ experience.

Green Convergence’s Assistant Corporate Secretary Ciela Castillo then gave her closing remarks for the January 2025 Kamayan Para Sa Kalikasan forum, acknowledging the discussions that the resource speakers have supplemented for the much-awaited summit.