[Podcast highlights]

Jay: Very important talaga initially ay to learn about it, learn about things you care about. You read books, scientific papers if you’re into that, watch YouTube videos, listen to podcasts kasi sobrang dami na ng available information in the internet.

Anabelle: Choose kung ano ‘yung organizations that they want to join, para lang kasi, mahalaga kasi dito sa mga issues na ‘to, alam din natin ‘yung correct information, para doon talaga tayo mag-base ng ating opinions, decisions.

[End of podcast highlights]

Bryan: Hello everyone! Ako ulit ‘to, ako si Bryan.

Onggie: And I’m Onggie.

Bryan: Okay so sa episode na ‘to, actually very interesting Onggie ang episode na ‘to, because ‘yung mga previous episodes natin, puro mga isa lang din ‘yung guest natin. Pero ngayon, we have two guests. And very interesting din kasi we’re going to talk about ‘yung journey nila of becoming conservationists. So ako, growing up, ang idea ko ng mga… Actually, parang hindi pa ako masyadong ganoon ka familiar before sa term na conservationist. Although yung NatGeo, ‘yon ang nag-open up sa akin sa word na conservation. Pero it’s exciting na meron tayong magiging guest na Filipino conservationists and we’re going to hear yung stories nila later. 

Onggie: Well, excited din ako kasi I personally know one of our guests. I’ve long admired her work, her advocacy, and her journey as well. We also have a very young upcoming conservationist. Actually, hindi na siguro ito upcoming, narating na niya. Young pa siya, young conservationist. I’m keen to talk to them and listen to their stories as well.

Bryan: Actually, ‘yon din ang interesting sa episode na ‘to kasi makikita natin yung perspectives, or difference or similarities siguro noon—ano ba yung panahon ten years ago, tapos ‘yung ngayon. Pero hindi naman ito ‘yung sobrang layo ng gap ng generation. Baka pagalitan ako ng isa nating magiging guest mamaya. Pero paano nga ba sila nagsimula, ano ba ‘yung mga naging inspirasyon nila, ano ba ‘yung mga naging challenges nila? May mga areas ba in conservation na parang, ibang path nalang kaya? Isa lang ba yung masasabi nila na conservation journey, or marami ba sila? Ano ba ‘yung path na yun? Siguro ‘yon din ‘yung isang excited ako dito, ‘yung evolution ng pagiging conservationist as a career, and also as a discipline, ‘di ba? 

Onggie: I think it probably will be like holding a mirror up kasi, hopefully, with our conversation, magkaroon ng konting introspection at marinig ng mga kasama natin sa podcast kung paano nag umpisa, kung paano tinuloy ang paglalakbay. Hopefully marinig natin ang mga pinaplano, ano pa ‘yung mga other paths our guests today would like to pursue.

Bryan: Right! And I think ‘yung mga audience natin na nakikinig ngayon, mas familiar siguro sila sa iba’t ibang aspeto ng conservation. Meron tayong environment conservation, very general. Meron tayong wildlife conservation, marine conservation. Ginagamit din natin yung heritage. So in a general sense, when we talk about conservation, the collective goal is really to protect and manage yung mga natural resources, ‘yung ecosystems na meron tayo. 

Onggie: For this episode, we have two guests that are doing just that. First, we’ll have the project manager of the Biodiversity Finance Initiative. She’s a licensed environmental planner, biologist, idol, writer, columnist, founding Board trustee ng Foundation as well—si Anabelle Plantilla. 

And we’re also joined by Jay Fidelino. Si Jay naman ay isang biodiversity scientist based at the biodiversity research laboratory of the Institute of Biology, IB, sa UP. And one of the founding members of the Queer Scientists PH. They will go into detail about their lives, and passions, into their work, hopefully signal how others who want to take on this path can start, and I’m sure they will serve as an inspiration doon sa ating mga nakikinig sa podcast. So huwag na nating patagalin pa, ako naiinip na ako. Pakinggan na natin, makipag kwentuhan na tayo kay Anabelle at kay Jay.

Bryan: Hello Anabelle and Jay! Welcome to Gubatbp.

Onggie: Welcome! At siguro kayo na ang mag-introduce ng sarili ninyo. Baka anu-ano pa masabi ko at lumabas na superfan pala ako ni Jay at ni Anabelle. Please introduce yourselves to our audience, go ahead!

Anabelle: Okay, sige, age before beauty! Okay, hi! Ako si Anabelle Plantilla. Hindi ako biologist, Onggie.

Onggie: Naku! 

Anabelle: Ang aking undergrad ay Environmental Planning. At sinabi mo naman ay intergenerational kaming dalawa ngayon. So obviously, medyo matagal na ako nag-graduate. Ako po ay isa doon sa mga first batch na nag-graduate ng Environmental Planning ng Maryknoll College pa noon, kaya alam niyo na ang age, ano? So ayun, siguro don muna. Medyo mahaba kasi ‘yung… Syempre, pag nag history na ako, medyo mahaba na ‘yon. Eh, hindi na makakasalita si Jay.

Jay: Hello po, ako po si Jay Fidelino. I am a biodiversity scientist or wildlife biologist. I am currently working as a researcher and a lecturer sa Institute of Biology sa UP Diliman.

Bryan: Yes, thank you Anabelle and Jay! And welcome sa Gubatbp. podcast at very excited kami to hear your story. Siguro to have this kind of grounding, paano niyo siguro i-dedefine ‘yung conservation sa respective work na ginagawa ninyo, para mas may background lang din doon sa current na ginagawa ninyo na efforts with regards sa conservation. We’ll go with Anabelle muna.

Anabelle: Itong current involvement ko as Project Manager of BIOFIN, essentially ‘yung aming proyekto ay nag-iidentify ng mga resource mobilization strategies dahil sinasabi natin na medyo kulang ang funding or financing sa biodiversity conservation. Ang proyekto ko ay essentially doing that, resource mobilization.

Bryan: Interesting! Thank you, Anabelle. How about si Jay?

Jay: So given na ‘yung work ko ever since I started is, kumbaga, I’m leaning more on the hard sciences. So in my line of work, conservation is using the information that we collect in the field. So for example, understanding the kinds of animals and plants that are in a certain area, then using all of that information to inform how we manage and protect ‘yung ating biodiversity that we find in a certain area. For me, very multidisciplinary ang conservation as a field. Papasok both ‘yung hard sciences, kumbaga ‘yon ‘yung meron akong background in, and also ‘yung mga humanities and social sciences work that will be involved kapag gagamitin na ‘tong na-collect na hard science information for the actual management part.

Bryan: Interesting! I like how you referenced ‘yung work ninyo na nag-aaddress ng certain socio-ecological problem. Pero now that we have a better sense kung anong ginagawa niyo ngayon, itong conservation kasi, naiimagine namin na paano mag-loloop through time. So medyo babalik tayo doon sa begninning ng inyong conservationist journey. Siguro si Anabelle, ano po ang naging early inspiration ninyo sa ganitong work?

Anabelle: Actually, dahil medyo older naman ako kay Jay… Noong 1986, nakabasa ako ng article about the Philippine Eagle sa dyaryo, syempre sa dyaryo kasi wala pang social media noon. It was a very short article announcing a monthly forum that was organized by Haribon Foundation. Sinabi doon na non-government organization at meron silang monthly forum na educational topic for that month was about the Philippine Eagle, sa Ayala Museum pa. At libre! Syempre, makapag-attend nga. So nag-attend ako, siguro a few months after, nag-apply ako ng trabaho sa Haribon Foundation, not because… Actually si Dr. Nina Galang, sabi nya Anabelle, this is an opening sa Haribon Foundation, bakit hindi mo i-try? Essentially, ‘yun siya, nag-umpisa na siya doon.

Onggie: Oh, so naka-ugat pala siya sa ating national bird, ‘yung Philippine Eagle.

Anabelle: Ang ganda kasi noong picture, ang ganda ng picture eh. Syempre hindi naman ako… City girl kasi ako, hindi ko nakikita ‘yon eh.

Bryan: Okay, thank you for that. How about si Jay, ano naman yung naging inspirasyon mo sa ginagawa mo ngayon sa biodiversity and wildlife work?

Jay: Sobrang naka-relate po ako nung sabi ni Anabelle na city girl siya, kasi ako din. Growing up, sa Metro Manila na talaga ako born and raised. So I haven’t really been exposed doon sa natural environment, except kapag ‘yung mga sa summer breaks in between school. So uuwi kami sa provinces, sa Nueva Ecija minsan sa Marinduque. At doon ko lang talaga na-experience na maraming puno, maraming ibon. Although meron din sa city, pero very different kasi ‘yung nandoon. Doon palang, doon ko na-enjoy ‘yung exploring the outdoors. Medyo mas ganoon lang yung idea ko noon as a kid. And later on nalang during my college days nalaman na, ay okay meron palang actual line of work, actual career path that involves learning about the outdoors and going there talaga. Doon lang talaga, and na-expose nalang ako noong during my undergrad days sa ganitong klaseng work.

Onggie: Interesting na ano, ‘yung initial interaction with nature ang mukhang nag-spur sa inyo forward. But I know na after noong initial ano na ‘yun, initial experience na ‘yun, tinuloy niyo for… I’m curious to hear from Jay. Sabi mo nag-umpisa  ka sa undergrad, how did you pursue it, itong path na ito? What did you take after?

Jay: So actually noong undergrad po ako, parang, when choosing our thesis topic, hindi ako… Wala ako doon sa conservation and biodiversity na part. ‘Yung undergrad thesis ko was about finding natural products for curing diabetes. So very labwork talaga siya, pero may mga friends ako na ecology ang fieldwork nila. So meron akong dalawang kaibigan na ang thesis nila involved collecting seeds from forests, sa Mt. Makiling ‘yung isa, and the other one was sa Subic. Tapos kailangan nila ng kasama, tapos ako syempre gusto ko, sige punta tayo sa gubat. So sasama ako doon, papakainin nila ako, tapos tutulungan ko na sila in data collection. And that was when I really decided na ito ang gusto kong gawin. Hindi ko pa sure kung what kind of outdoor work, ecology work, basta gusto ko pumasok sa ecology dahil sa experiences na yun. From that, after ko mag-graduate, kahit na hindi naman ecology yung thesis ko or specialization ko, somehow I found mentors who were willing to take me in and tuturuan ako on how to start sa career na ‘to, kahit na actually wala akong masyadong background doon sa field na ‘yun.

Onggie: Medyo alam ko na nang konti yung trabaho… When I met Anabelle, nung nagkita kami, she was already doing a lot of great work. Pero interested pa rin ako don sa after nya mag-apply sa Haribon, anong nangyari?

Anabelle: ‘Yung may project na maliit ang Haribon noon, it was to develop educational modules on forest conservation. At ‘yung aming parang project leader noon was no less than Bob Kennedy, Mr. Robert Kennedy of the Philippine Eagle fame. Syempre kaba-kaba pa ako, ininterview niya ako eh. Naku, wala pa naman akong alam sa ibon, sa gubat. Pero eventually, nakuha niya ako. 

Noong ginawa namin ang forest conservation modules, actually, tumira kami noong dalawang team members namin sa Los Baños, and it’s the first time namin maka-experience ng gubat. Parang si Jay. Ay, ganito pala ang itsura ng gubat kasi lumaki ako dito sa syudad. And siguro, mas na-appreciate ko. And at that time kasi, ang first president ng Haribon was Dr. Celso Roque. O di ba? So sabi ko uy, syempre noong time na ‘yun, hindi ko pa alam na sikat sikat talaga nila. Eng-eng talaga ako noon! Hindi ko alam na sikat na sikat sila. But eventually nung nakakausap ko sila, si Bob and Dr. Roque, oh wow! Ang galing! Eh si Dr. Roque, physicist yun, hindi naman siya biologist. Physicist siya. Tapos, kinukwento niya, napaka-generous nila pareho in terms of sharing their knowledge. Kasi si Dr. Roque noon, very new organization pa si Haribon. And kinukwento, ganito ang global discourse. Kailangan natin i-protect ang ating environment. Kaya na-hook niya ako, kasi ang simple nya mag-explain. 

Tapos hindi niya, syempre ang tali-talino ni Dr. Roque, hindi naman ako biologist. He had the patience to explain to me. Unti-unti, pinakilala niya ako sa Haribon Board. Medyo sikat din ang mga member ng Board. Mga scientist ‘to eh, eventually ‘yung maliit na involvement ko sa forest conservation module project na yun, talagang medyo nag-ano ako, na inspire ako because of the people around me. So, ‘yun. Eh ang Haribon non, wala namang pera noon, maliit lang yung project. 

Pagkatapos ng project, wala nang kasunod. May maliit na institutional support grant. Tapos enough lang ‘yon to pay ‘yung maliit na sweldo. ‘Yung time na ‘yon kalahati lang sweldo namin, okay lang. Kasi gusto namin ‘yung ginagawa namin. 

And eventually, after noong forest conservation module, ‘yung executive director namin, si Joe Thompson, inassign niya ako, “Anabelle mag fundraising ka kaya?”. Anong gagawin ko? Sabi ko hindi ko alam. “Isipin mo, pwede ka magtinda ng t-shirt, mag special events ka. Kasi lahat ng ire-raise natin na money will go back to conservation.” 

Nako! ‘Di syempre, wala naman eskwelahan na ganoon na magtuturo kung paano mag-fundraise. School of hard knocks ako noon talaga, and nag-rely lang ako doon sa membership ng Haribon. Kinaibigan ko lahat ng members. Pag nagtitinda na kami ng t-shirt, talagang nabebenta ko lahat ng t-shirt! Tandaan mo Onggie noon, wala pang cellphone noon. Rotary pa noon! Talagang iba talaga, talaga resourceful at creative ka, at talaga maganda dapat spin mo para mabenta mo yung t-shirt. So ‘yun, naumpisahan, nag-umpisa ako sa ganoon to raise money. Special event, movie premiere pa noon eh. Hindi na uso ngayon eh. Noong araw ganon eh.

Onggie: Streaming na.

Anabelle: Movie premiere. Yes, streaming na kasi ngayon! Noong araw, kapal ng mukha ko talagang lumalapit ako sa kaibigan ng kaibigan. Sabi ko alam niyo, nilapatin ko noon ang president ng Columbia Pictures dito sa Philippines. Sabi ko, ‘yung boss ko is a friend of a friend nya. Ganoon lang, talagang makapal mukha ko sabi ko, hi I’m from Haribon Foundation and gusto namin mag-fundraise. Siguro naawa naman siya, sabi niya, sige. Bigyan kita ng movie, it is a critically acclaimed movie. Ibig sabihin noon hindi sya commercial hit ‘yun ah. Ibig sabihin mahirap ‘yon. Ano ‘yon eh, si Harrison Ford, The Mosquito Coast. Hindi ko makakalimutan ‘yun, it was the first movie premiere ng Haribon. Natuwa naman ‘yung Board. 

Noong una, ‘yung Board, “Ha are you sure that we can sell tickets?” Ang nakuha ko Rizal Theater pa noon. Wala na ‘yon, giba na ‘yon! Rizal Theater, nag-solicit ako, sumulat kami ng letter kay Mr. Zobel. Binigyan niya kami ng discount. Tsinaga kong maghintay sa city hall ng Makati para makuha yung exemption sa tax. Oo talaga, ginagawa ko lahat ‘yo’n. And then lahat ng Board tinokohan ng ticket, lahat ng member tinokohan ko ng ticket. 

In short, full house kami. Standing room. Eh ‘di natuwa ang Board, thank God! And they said, oh when is our next movie? Pero essentially ganoon, ‘yon ang naging involvement ko. And the money that we were able to raise, of course pumunta ito sa aming admin expenses. At least it was unrestricted money, natuwa yung Board kasi it also raises the visibility of Haribon. And then kasi, natuwa sa akin si Columbia Pictures. The following year, binigyan ako ng magandang movie: Gorillas in the Midst kay Dian Fossey. O di ba? After noon, ano na, medyo okay na kami kay Columbia Pictures, magaganda na ang movies na binigay niya. So ‘yan, essentially ganoon ang naging involvement ko, and then unti-unti, gumagawa na ako ng proposals, kasi ‘yan naman ang mga pang-fundraising ng NGO proposals, mga collaterals, special events. Ayun, unti-unti nang ganoon. 

And then, dumating yung first debt swap. Well kasi, it was a Haribon, WWF, and DENR. ‘Yun ‘yung first debt swap. Naalala ko ‘yun, nakakatawa kasi ang ano noon was special series central bank deals na nilalagay lang namin doon sa safe namin sa office, tapos pag ireredeem ko na kasi, ‘di ba every three months? Alam mo nagjejeep lang ako papuntang central bank, bitbit ko yun, dala dala ko yung report, ito na ireredeem na namin! Ganoon. ‘Yun, actually yung mga involvement sa mga ganong mga parang first times, ‘di ba, ibang klase ‘yon eh, kasi ibang experience. And then parang wow nagawa ko ‘to! Yung hindi lang naman ako, it is of course the team, and it’s yung Haribon vow. ‘Yung debt swap was the first big money that Haribon ever had. Iba rin kasi yung feeling na makaka-implement na tayo ng project and we will be working with the National Museum with biologists like Jay. Makaka-research na tayo. And of course, nag-start na doon ang community work ng Haribon. So ‘yun.

Onggie: Wow, ang galing noh nung initial first steps ni Anabelle! At mukhang clear na I think, clear na mahirap pero ‘yung pag-iisip para sa iba at para sa kalikasan nananaig. Last question ko na ‘to Bry ulit, tapos ikaw na. Jay, how about you? Sabi mo kanina pakiramdam mo, hindi ka equipped kasi hindi ‘yun ‘yung spesyalidad mo, iba ‘yung pinaplano mong thesis. Anong ginawa mo? How did it come to be na ito ka na ngayon—our bat expert?

Jay: So syempre po, after ko mag-graduate ng undergrad, initially ‘yung plans ko with some friends who also wanted to pursue wildlife biology as a career path, diretso grad school masters sa UP Los Baños kasi marami silang wildlife biology programs. Pero life happens, syempre kailangan may income ka muna kasi fresh grad ka, and you have to support yourself and you have to give back to your family. I started na raket-raket muna, on the side I was doing tutor work sa mga bata. I also found work as a volunteer sa herbarium sa Institute of Biology. Meron akong friends na nag-wowork doon, and they were able to get me in as a Graduate Assistant na nag-aasist sa pag-summarize ng data sa herbarium and from field collections. 

A few months of working on that, syempre kilala na ako ng then curator ng herbarium. Nagkataon lang, I guess I was lucky na ‘yung naging eventual mentor ko na si Dr. Perry Ong, had a project na pasimula in the incoming year. Naghahanap sila ng papasok na research assistant to lead the fauna field service sa Palanan, Isabela sa Northern Sierra Madre. And since andoon na ako, ni-recommend na ako ng curator ng herbarium, meron ditong gustong pumasok sa wildlife biology na field, pero wala siyang masyadong experience. I was lucky they were open to me to come in and do the work kahit wala akong experience at all at the time. It just started as them interviewing me, me learning about ano ‘yung ginagawa ko before then, and just telling me na okay lang ‘yon and matututo ka naman along the way sa iba’t ibang klaseng field technique pag pumasok ka na sa field, and I never left since then.

Bryan: Right, thank you! Actually gusto ko lang sabihin Anabelle na kami ni Onggie and one of our colleagues din, nag-reresearch kami before, nagsulat kami about our lessons on debt for nature swap being ‘yung Forest Foundation ay parte nga din ng debt for nature swap agreement, and based doon sa pag-research ko, nakita ko na Haribon ang una. Ang amazing lang malaman na parte pala kayo noon, nabasa ko ‘yun sa aking pag-rersearch, so very interesting note on that.

Bryan: Nabanggit niyo Anabelle ‘yung experience ninyo doon sa Haribon work, siguro tatawid ako ng ilang mga taon pa para palapit tayo sa present. Curious po ako kung ano ‘yung mga pagbabago siguro in terms of your journey, ‘yung experience niyo po ba doon sa fundraising mas-nagpaigting po ba siya, nagamit nyo po ba later on, na-improve po ba siya doon sa mga succeeding strategies moving forward? Paano po na-shape ng initial experiences niyo in conservation work yung ginagawa niyo in the past 5 or 10 years?

Anabelle: Essentially nga dahil ‘yung unang work ko sa Haribon was really on resource mobilization, marami din akong training na inattendan noon because Worldwide Life Fund International was then ‘yung partner ng Haribon, noong wala pa ‘yung WWF Philippines. Si WWF International alam mo, dinala nya ako doon sa Geneva office nila as well as sa US Washington, DC office nila just to do training on fundraising. Kung paano sila nag-fufundraise. And of course mostly, ito ay mga private sector engagement. Of course, meron dito ‘yung cross-marketing etcetera, proposals. So lahat ‘yon, magandang experience for me, ang bata bata ko pa noon. Sabi ko nga sa boss ko noon, “diyos ko environment planning ‘yung course ko bakit pinapag-fundraise mo ako!” Ang hirap hirap naman nito. But I think it allows you to be creative. It allows you to think out of the box. Alam mo for a time, nagtinda pa ang Haribon ng outdoor gear, backpack, ‘yung mga sleeping bags. And for a time na medyo na mababa ang pera namin, ‘yon ang nag tie over sa Haribon noon, ‘yung collaterals namin. 

So, I think siguro ‘yung experience ko in doing fundraising… Eventually kasi naging executive director ako ng Haribon, it provided me with a well-rounded or a different perspective. Of course iba siya sa hard science na ginagawa ni Jay, na-appreciate ko ‘yon. But in running an organization, and maybe thinking ahead, siguro ‘yung naging experience ko sa Haribon helped me manage itong current project na minamanage ko, kasi it’s about resource mobilization. Iba-iba nga lang strategies, pero halos may mga similarities din siya, and as you say pagdating naman sa resource mobilization, mahalaga talaga ‘yung partnership dito. You cannot do it alone. At tandaan natin ang resource is not just money, it can be ‘yung talent. So ‘yon.

Bryan: Actually, it’s a great point Anabelle, which brings me to my question kay Jay. Si Jay ay part doon sa work na ginagawa niya sa Institute of Biology. I think Jay wears several hats din. You’re a member of Queer Scientists PH and also volunteers sa BCSP. At meron pa bang organization si Jay na okay din ikwento dito sa conversation na ito, and how do you think itong other persona or other engagements mo with different organizations intersect doon sa conservation work na ginagawa mo?

Jay: Bukod nga doon sa full time work as a researcher, tapos fairly recently I also started teaching sa Institute of Biology… So aside from those, ‘yon nga I’m also a volunteer sa member organizations. So si Queer Science PH which does advocacy work with the LGBTQA scientists in the Philippines, we tell their stories, ano ba ang iba’t ibang struggles na pinagdadaanan and also their successes. In that organization, I lead ‘yung social media team. Kami ‘yung for example, doing the publication materials, writing the write-ups. Bukod doon, I’m also a volunteer and Board member of BCSP. So doon po sa work na ‘yon ay ginagawa ko recently is ako ‘yung secretary, ako ‘yung ginagawa nilang secretary, para mostly doing all of the little dirty work on the side. And then bukod po doon, I’m also part of our conservation awareness committee, which involved doing all the social media advocacy work of BCSP. 

I also was part of the favorite work ko po with BCSP, I was also part of the team that works with DepEd. In 2020, we started working on a toolkit on teaching biodiversity sa primary and secondary levels, so nag-develop kami ng teaching toolkit na andoon ‘yung basic information on Philippine biodiversity para i-address ‘yung gaps in teaching about our own plants and animals doon sa primary levels of education. Kasi ‘di ba, parang growing up, personal experience ko talaga, I grew up learning about lions and tigers, and giraffes and elephants. All of this hindi naman found sa atin. And until now, ganoon pa rin ang mga nasa ating textbooks. I thought this was a very great initiative. And I was very lucky na I was part sa mga nag-develop noon. 

And lastly, ‘yung isa ko pang organization right now, AGHAM. So yung AGHAM naman po does a lot of ground work sa iba’t ibang communities and to help in using science para i-address ang iba’t ibang issues of different kinds of communities. Ako for the most part, since environment ‘yung background, tinatawagan ako kapag ‘yung mga issues ay sa environment. For example, I was able to serve as a resource person and speaker for a few engagements for recent na mga environmental issues sa Philippines. For example… So syempre recently yung gagawing Pasig River expressway, yung position ko doon on different aspects. One of them is ‘yung environmental consequences of putting an expressway on top of the Pasig river. We’ve been involved in telling stories kung ano ba ang mga possible environmental harm doon. And ‘yon for AGHAM, most of our work sa AGHAM involves talking about the issues, and trying to make the important stakeholders listen. Kumbaga i-address ang mga issues na ito.

Bryan: Grabe ang daming nangyayari sa buhay ni Jay ngayon! Anabelle, do you feel resonant sa energy ni Jay?

Anabelle: Oo, andami talaga, yes.

Onggie: Curious ako, I think andaming ginagawa, andami ring na-overcome na challenges. Iniimagine ko lang ‘yung trying to do crowdsourcing noong early days. That would have been a real challenge. ‘Yung looking at work ni Jay, probably starting from somebody na who could have been considered “hindi naman ‘yan specialist”, to finding your own specialization now. Curious ako, I’m sure may mga misconceptions, ‘di ba, sa work of conservationists. So in your experience, and in your different lines of… in your different journeys, ano ‘yung mga misconceptions about being a conservationist that you think you’d like to debunk? “Hindi hindi mali ‘yan, this is what conservation is about?”

Anabelle: Siguro ano, kailangan scientist ka. Hindi naman kailangan eh, hindi naman kailangan na scienist ka eh. Marami akong kilala na enthusiasts. Meaning hindi sila, for example, ‘yung mga mahilig sa ibon na hindi naman ornithologist. Pero they do watch birds everyday, ang galing na nila, nakakapag-identify sila and then even ‘yung advocacy for protecting the environment. Kasi ‘yon naman kung saan nakatira ang ibon. 

Actually, ang Haribon started as a birdwatching society, hindi naman sila scientists. Mga businessmen sila! ‘Yung mga Board members noon. Sa kaka-ikot nila sa birdwatching, nakita nila ‘yung environmental issues. So sa akin, hindi mo kailangan maging scientist. Andami ngang mga artists, ‘yung mga grantee ng Forest Foundation Philippines ang gaganda ng mga drawing ng bulaklak, ng mga puno, ‘di ba? They are artists, hindi naman sila scientist. But they can still speak the language of conservation of others. So ‘yon ‘yung tingin ko isang myth.

Onggie: Great point, Annabelle!

Jay: Actually very similar din ‘yung magiging answer ko. Siguro parang hindi kasi sya obvious sa get go, especially pag nagsisimula. ‘Yung conservation work involves a lot of disciplines. Ako nga, feeling ko it should involve all of the disciplines, kasi marami kang mapupulot na knowledge from all these different fields para magamit sa iyong conservation work. For example, since biology ang background ko, hindi ko alam na initially na maraming palang math ‘yung ecology. Andami palang math involved and statistics and programming, so medyo nag-adjust pa ako noong kailangan ko na sya matutunan. Even within doon sa pure sciences, part of it hindi lang siya biology lang, it involves a lot of social science. And ‘yon nga natutunan ko, hindi lang siya ‘yung hard sciences, hindi lang siya natural science, it involves a lot of social science and advocacy work and finances. Isa po yan sa recent nightmares ko, ang hirap pala maghanap ng funding for doing this kind of work. Isa siyang very important skill set na kailangan ko pang i-develop.

Onggie: Nice! Great points! ‘Yung being a conservationist isn’t borne out of a degree, ‘yun ‘yung malinaw na naririnig ko kay Jay, and also ‘yung being a conservationist does not require a scientific or science-oriented degree. In fact, that mirrors ‘yung experience namin sa Foundation. Some of our best partners, ‘yung pinaka-passionate namin na advocates about forest and forest conservation, turn out to be enthusiasts, turn out to be naturalists lang, hindi sila sceintists nga na hardcore. So, these are great points! Bry, over to you.

Bryan: Sobrang na-aamze ako sa discussion natin sa mga insights. So iniisip ko lang din, sa panahon din natin ngayon, andaming issues, andami nating mga kinakaharap na challenges sa ating environment. Sa ating forests na pag-conserve, iniisip ko lang din po kung ano ‘yung tingin niyo pwede sigurong maging role ng mga emerging conservationists. 

Ano ‘yung well, based sa usapan natin kanina, hindi lang kailangan na as in related na agad sa hard science ang course mo at the outset. For those siguro nag-iisip na, for instance nasa architecture siguro, hindi masyadong apparent diyan. Pero andami nang cross disciplines na nag-eemeerge sa role ng architect sa conservation. 

Ano po ang naiisip niyo na okay na ipahayag ninyo doon sa mga interested na mag-pursue ng conservation work? Especially sa mga kabataan ngayon na very into nature and not to mention ‘yung issue and challenge ng climate anxiety na sobrang maraming pag-aaral. Actually, isa sa mga global studies, ang Filipino youth ay pinaka-vulnerable sa climate anxiety according sa global research. Ano ang masasabi natin doon, Anabelle?

Anabelle: Siguro sa akin, mahalaga ‘yung ating kabataan, andami namang information na available. Ang dali ngayon eh compared noong panahon ko.

Onggie: Panahon natin!

Anabelle: Maganda mapag-aralan kung ano ‘yung mga issues talaga na that will hit the Philippines hard, and then sa akin ‘yung ano eh, mag-participate sila sa mga advocacy groups. Actually sa social media ngayon, makikita mo ngayon very active. Katulad siguro sa mga organizations ni Jay! At marami ding mga small groups na nag-advocate talaga. 

Naalala ko ‘yung PAREX na ‘yan, even ‘yung mga ibang professional associations. Sometimes kasi member din ako ng professional association and in our meetings napag-uusapan ‘yon eh, at maganda napag-uusapan talaga within professional associations, or outside professional associations. Mahalaga din kasi na ineengage din natin ‘yung government natin. Well, basically because pag nag-eenvironmental impact assessment, may public hearings. And these are for the people and youth to participate. Ngayon madali na eh, may announcement sa dyaryo, sa Facebook page. Andaming group chat na pwede naman silang sumali. At pwede naman nila i-filter ang information na gusto nila makuha. Or they can choose kung anong organizations they want to join, para lang kasi, mahalaga sa mga issues na ‘to alam din natin ‘yung correct information para doon talaga tayo mag-bebase ng ating mga opinions, decisions.

Onggie: How about si Jay?

Jay: Actually dudugtungan ko lang ‘yung sinabi ni Anabelle, very important initially ay to learn about it, learn about the things you care about. You read books, you read scientific papers if you’re into that, watch YouTube videos, listen to podcasts kasi andaming information na available sa internet. And for a lot of people, accessible na siya. And I think important din to learn from a diversity of viewpoints. If science ang background mo, learn about a certain issue from a different background. From the viewpoint of, maybe a social scientist or an architect or an engineer. I’m sure marami ding mapupulot doon. And when you learn about these things you care about, if you feel you learn more and learn enough, it’s time to organize yourself and volunteer, kasi sobrang daming iba’t ibang groups na pwede mong salihan if you want to work on specific issues, if you want to work on conservation in certain areas. 

Example, sobrang daming local NGOs sa provinces sa Pilipinas. For example, tinatarget nila ang species sa island nila. For example, like Talarak Foundation and PhilBio on Negros Island. Halimbawa kung taga-Isabela or Cagayan area, there’s Mabuwaya Foundation. Sobrang iba’t-ibang NGO doing a lot of important work na kailangan talaga nila ng volunteers, manpower, kasi hindi tayo marami sa field na ‘to. Organizing yourself is very crucial, kumbaga may mapuntahan ‘yung interest mo and interests mo.

Bryan: Ang ganda, actually tama din si Annabelle kanina. Mas madali na maghanap, ang mas problem ngayon ay ‘yung filtering. There are a lot of spaces and opportunities for us to learn and get involved. I think hanapin lang din natin ‘yon. Follow niyo ‘yung Foundation’s Facebook Page and other sites, pati doon sa partners na nag-iimplement ng projects sa ibang areas. Siguro last question bago tayo dumako sa final segment natin. We’re talking about different media resources, Jay and Anabelle, meron ba kayong marekomenda na libro or documentary film na paborito niyo na pinaka nag-struck sa inyo na marerekomenda niyo sa audience natin, kahit series yan or any type of materials siguro?

Onggie: Yah, great question Bryan! Sino mauuna?

Anabelle: Gorillas in the Mist. It is about Dian Fossey, maganda ‘yon! Kung ikaw ay young budding scientist, ‘yung drive ni Dian Fossey to really protect the gorillas and make known to the world na kailangan protektahan ‘yon. And pinaka-recent na pinanood ko sa Netflix, Our National Parks. Si Barack Obama. Ang ganda eh, sabi ko kahit di ko mapuntahan ‘yung mga fineature na protected areas doon, parang ka na ding nakarating. Sana meron din tayo noon para sa atin

Bryan: Alright!

Onggie: Nice nice!

Bryan: How about you Jay?

Jay: Siguro meron akong two recommendations. ‘Yung una, for people who are not really into reading, ‘yung favorite ko talagang documentary, at sobrang accessible niya ngayon, ‘yung Bird of Prey. A very recent documentary on our work to conserve the Philippine Eagle. For me, sobrang ganda noon na introduction into the kind of work that we do, and ‘yung importance ng ginagawa natin. 

For the people who like reading, ang recommendation ko naman ay isa sa mga recent favorite ko na nonfiction, it’s a book called The Conservation Revolution: Radical Ideas for Saving Nature Beyond the Anthropocene. So kasi ako, medyo ang mga nababasa ko previously ay mga kumbaga classical strategies in conservation work. This book introduced me to a lot of alternative modes of doing conservation work. And ako, personally, parang mas naglelean ako towards looking at conservation using this angle, so I highly recommend this book.

Bryan: Actually familiar ako kay Buscher na libro. Very interesting ‘yon kasi nag-aadvocate siya ng conviviality ng conservation work, so I think interesting nga yun. So Annabelle, may papanoorin ako these coming weekends, so thank you sa recommendations.

Onggie: ‘Yung Our National Parks is accessible siya sa Netflix. I’ve seen a couple of episodes, grabe ‘yung cinematography. Magaling din mag-narrate si Barack, napaka-effective. I have to admit na biased ako, kasi kay Sir Attenborough ako, so pag narinig ko, ah okay. But si Barack is also an effective narrator. But those are great recommendations. 

I think as we seek to find ‘yung inspiration, whether in real life or ‘yung mentors na sabi ni Anabelle and Jay, of course si Dr. Perry is also a founding trustee of the Foundation and a mentor of many as well, of many of us in the conservation field. I’m glad na may movies, for those of us who are more visually inclined. Mas maganda din ‘yon. And of course, books that present a different, and different perspectives on what may already be a practice na medyo outdated na.

Bryan: Yah, thank you! Nandito tayo sa constant discovery and rediscovery ng possibilities and alternative pathways on conservation. And ano ‘yon eh, kumbaga, emergent iyong mga trajectories, hindi natin alam doon siya, pero andito pala tayo papunta. So really inspiring stories, thank you so much Jay and Anabelle for sharing your journeys!

Bryan: But hindi pa tapos, andito na tayo sa last segment natin. So this is actually the first time na gagawin namin ‘to dito sa Gubatbp. So maraming salamat sa mga nagpadala ng sulat! 

So, sinabi namin na may magiging guest kami na conservationist, so if may mga question sila, if they’d like to ask insights or career advice, ‘yon ‘yung mga tanong namin sa kanila. So nakapili kami ng dalawa, so ako ‘yung magbabasa ng isa, si Onggie sa isa mamaya. We hope to hear your insight siguro sa mga sinulat nila. Alright! Ito yung una, actually an anonymous letter sender siya, medyo nahihiya pa siya. Babasahin ko sulat nya:

Hello! I am currently studying Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) in a State University in Cavite. Growing up in a highly-residential area surrounded by subdivisions, my parents always kept a small garden beside the basketball court (you know, a piece of land that was not cemented and is just enough to plant mango tree, malunggay, caimito, and few plants). Different kinds of insects, amphibians, and birds visit this little place of green in our home. This is where my awareness about biodiversity conservation started, and as a DVM student, it always is a never-ending vow to protect our fauna and flora as these are essential not just for the health and welfare of the animals, but also for the people as well. 

I am always fascinated with the humble works of Filipino biologists, wildlife practitioners, scientists, and environmental conservationists. Living in the Philippines – being a hotspot for endemic species of plants and animals, where we cater delicate habitats of wonderful creatures of the land and seas, from mountains to grasslands, everything has life present in all different forms. 

However, we all know our lapses in our society as those in authority choose capital over natural preservation, undermining climate change and its effects, and so on. Despite this, I still have hopes for a better future. As a student finishing my last year in college, I would like to know possible careers in conservation for (soon to be) veterinarians, and also what are the steps that you undergo in order to be called a conservationist? Thank you so much!

Tapos meron siyang heart emoji! Alright, so who’d like to answer first siguro?

Anabelle: Mahalaga ‘yung vet! ‘Di ba? Meron tayong wildlife rescue center dito sa Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife. I’m sure hindi lang dito sa Metro Manila, we do have several rescue centers across the country and mahalaga ka Ms. Vet, in terms of  ‘yung taking care of our wildlife. Of course ‘yung nandito sa mga nasa rescue center ay mga confiscated or turned over na wildlife. Pero mahalaga na mahalaga ang service ng mga veterinarian when it comes to wildlife conservation. 

So ano ang pwede mong maging track? Hindi lang ako sigurado pero maganda siguro na magkaroon ka ng OJT sa wildlife rescue center to gain experience na maka-handle ka ng Philippine and other exotic wildlife. And by doing that, ma-fafamiliarize ka na sa mga Wildlife Act, at mga ibang batas about conservation. So that can be one track that you can take. 

Bryan: Ang ganda ng advice!

Onggie: Great suggestion, ano? May napuntahan akong wildlife rescue center, ‘yon ang challenge nila. May mga volunteers na pumupunta, but syempre since volunteer sila, nahihiya sila, humihingi ng tulong madalas. And also yung availability kapag ‘yung merong may sakit, or merong may nangyari na masama doon sa animals natin. 

Bryan: How about you, Jay?

Jay: Actually ‘yon talaga ang pinakamadaling avenue for a future veterinary medicine grad. Doon ka sa wildlife rescue center, kasi ang expertise mo, doon siya pinaka ma-apply. Pero I think it will also be useful, pwede magsimula in your community to familiarize yourself, especially in an urban area, very common ang bird strike sa mga windows, or  mga nasasagasaan. Maraming mga cases na ganyan sa mga cities. 

Halimbawa kung aware ang community around you, uy meron ditong vet! Pwede don magsimula, doon ang practice of learning about ‘yung ganitong klase ng cases, and later on expanding ‘yung work. Pwede mag-volunteer, I think pinakamalapit sa kanya ‘yung Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife since taga-Cavite siya. And also sa mga iba’t-ibang NGOs sa ibat-ibang provinces, they will also need expertise ng mga vet kasi nag-hahandle din sila ng rescued animals.

Bryan: Thank you, Jay! Actually, thank you din sa vetmed lettersender natin kasi kinwentuhan talaga tayo ng affinity niya sa nature at kung paano siya napunta sa vetmed. Siguro lang din, kanina napag-usapan at na bring up nila Anabelle and Jay. Kapag nagsisimula ka palang, importante din yung mentorship, at nabanggit din ‘to ni Onggie na kinokonsider ko na mentor dito sa Foundation. Nag-advise din tayo. Ano, huwag kang mahihiya siguro na mag reach out sa mga possible na nakikita mo na mentors or authors na nabasa mo, or nakita mo sa Twitter or nakita mo ‘yung email, kasi ganoon din ang ginagawa ko. Pag may nabasa ako na author, minemessage ko, hey I like your ganito ganyan. Nag-rereflect ako ng mga bagay. Tapos sinesend ko doon sa mga author. Some of them, nagrereply talaga sila and they’re very happy to receive such kinds of messages. I think it’s also a way of expanding ‘yung self and ‘yung opportunities, lalo na kapag nag-tatry ka pang ifmailiarize ‘yung sarili mo sa ganoong klaseng environment.

Onggie: I agree Bryan, that’s an excellent point! Many of us perhaps feel, lalo na pag mahirap ang pinagdaanan, mag-isa lang ako, wala akong masandalan, wala akong formal mentors. But I like that idea of reaching out to those who think and with whom you share your ideas and beliefs. And learn from them, be inspired by their work as well. Much like we’re inspired by yung kwento ni Jay and ni Anabelle this afternoon. 

‘Yung pang huling question comes from a letter sender from Caint, Rizal. Sabi nya:

I graduated with a Development Studies degree and have professional experience in marketing. Because of my DevStud roots, I’ve always been interested in anything that advances the UN’s SDGs; and working with a brand in the power industry when I was a marketer deepened my green/conscious living, including biodiversity conservation.

I’m curious about conservation topics, yes, and I’d love to work on projects around it. In terms of my career, I’m currently passionate about product design so that’s what I’m working on. Someday I’d love to marry the 2 ideas together—designing digital products that help make the world a better place to live in.

Any ideas, from Jay or Anabelle?

Anabelle: Product design, meaning nag-dedesign siguro siya ng product. I was thinking one of Forest Foundation’s partners, ‘yung si Blue Flame. Kasi nag-dedesign siya ng jewelry featuring Philippine trees. So I think Blue Flame married ‘yung kanyang interest in design, as well as ‘yung consciousness niya in protecting biodiversity conservation sa kanyang business. So maybe sa ating development studies letter writer, siguro kung alam natin kung ano ang product design na ginagawa nya, maybe we can provide a better idea. What do you think Jay?

Jay: Oo nga po eh, if we had a better idea kung anong specific na product design na involved pwede siya ma-point out kasi sobrang maraming avenues na pwedeng ma-apply ‘yon, andaming mga groups, mga organizations na would really appreciate that kind of expertise, especially for example kung ang goal ay fundraising for conservation work. I’m sure maraming applications doon. And considering ‘yung development studies na background nya, ma-apply din niya ‘yon sa ibang aspects ng conservation work.

Anabelle: Or maybe ‘yung upcycling na products, magaling sila sa ganyan. 

Onggie: Oh well, sana nasagot namin kahit papano ‘yung tanong. And maybe ‘yung ating letter sender can consider these ways furthering, of course, ‘yung passion nya for the environment, but also ‘yung current na practice niya. 

Great points, ano? Reflecting on the work that is done here at the Foundation, ‘yung intersection ng science and art seems to be one that draws a lot of people. And ‘yung role din ng art in simplifying, in perhaps making science more palatable to others, to more people. Pag pinagsama natin ‘yun. So thank you for those responses, Jay and Anabelle!

Bryan: Yes, thank you! Parang interesting pala ‘tong segment na ‘to. Iniisp kasi namin kung itutuloy namin ang segment na ito sa mga susunod pa na episodes ng Gubatbp. Pero thank you so much for sharing ang inyong insights, Anabelle and Jay! 

Siguro ilan sa mga key takeaways dito, actually excited akong pakinggan ulit. Kasi parang gusto kong pag-isipan pa ang mga na share ninyo. At the outset siguro, ‘yung mga na realize ko siguro is very important at the early age siguro or habang nag-aaral, is ‘yung exposure mismo sa environment and nature, at kung papano siya nakaka-influence doon sa understanding natin ng environment. Gustong-gusto ko ‘yung sinabi ni Jay, ang mga animal na nakikita natin sa flashcards and posters ay ‘yung mga hindi naman dito makikita. So how do we change yung ganong klaseng narrative moving forward?

‘Yung pangalawa siguro ay ‘yung influence ng people. ‘Yung mentorship and clout, si Jay napasama sa isang hike, at doon nya na-realize na gusto pala niya ang conservation work. 

I think isang pinaka-important at gusto ko ring i-emphasize ay ‘yung intersectionality ng conservation work. Hindi kailangan na magaling ka sa hard science, magaling ka sa resource mobilization, or magaling ka sa lahat or kailangan mo silang i-master, because maraming tao ang gumagawa ng mga bagay. We just need to find ‘yung points of union natin, ‘yung intersections sa work na ginagawa natin, at ‘yung mga potential space at initiatives na pwede natin simulan. 

So, I think yung journey papunta sa conservation work ay hindi ganoon ka defined at discrete. Maraming pathways, emergent ang pathways na ‘yon. It’s for us kung paano mag-rerespond doon sa call ng environment, doon sa call ng sarili natin. Kasi I think conservation work, it’s really about passion din talaga. You have to be passionate sa isang area or species or kahit ano pa ‘yan. ‘Yun ang nagda-drive siguro talaga when doing conservation work. At na-feel ko ‘yon doon sa mga kwento ninyo Anaballe, Jay, and of course Onggie, sa araw-araw nating pagkwentuhan sa Foundation. Yah, I’m very very thankful for this conversation.

Onggie: On my end, as I listen sa mga kwento nila Anabelle and Jay, I think two things struck me sa path ng isang pagiging conservationist. First one ay ‘yung, and both of them shared this, maaring hindi nila sinasabi ito. I think ‘yung framework or ‘yung mindset ng isang conservationist ay something na ready to take on the challenge. Always present. Kinwento ni Anabelle kanina, hindi naman ‘yan ang karanasan ko, ako’y isang environmental planner; but in the end she took on the challenge. Or hindi naman ako trained na mag-fundraise, and now she’s able to raise not just the profile of Haribon, but generate all those resources to enable advocacy science and communication. I think the same with Jay! Sinabi niya kanina andoon siya sa herbarium and then there was this opportunity. He was there and he was ready, and he also took the challenge. He could have said, no I’m fine here in the herbarium, malamig pa. Ayaw kong pumunta sa Isabela. But he took on that challenge. I think ‘yon ‘yung una. For a conservationist, you have to be ready and should take ang challenges na ‘yon outside of your comfort zone. 

Pangalawa, ito very clear ito sa akin. ‘Yung pananaw sa iba, ‘yung pagturing at pag-value ng iba. Clear na ang pagmamahal sa kalikasan stems from ‘yung pagmamahal ng iba, ng ibang uri, ng ibang tao, ng iba pang nilalang. Hindi, mukhang hindi makasarili, at kung makasarili ka, mukhang conservation isn’t going to be the path for you. Unfortunately, isa ‘yan sa mga natutunan ko ngayong hapon, but if you value the larger world, if you look at your fellow man with respect and treat others including ‘yung plants and animals with dignity and respect, then you’re primed to take that journey towards conservation.

Bryan: Thank you, thank you Onggie! Baka si Anabelle and Jay may panghuling mensahe para sa mga tagapakinig natin? Pwede kayo mag share ng current niyo na initiatives. Or pwede ring imbitasyon na i-follow sa social media kung anong mga organization, or any other you’d like to say regarding conservation journey din. 

Anabelle: Sige, you can follow, of course, yung BIOFIN. Meron kaming Instagram, Facebook, and we have a web page. If you want to know more about resource mobilization or finance solutions for biodiversity conservation, you can always contact me. 

Jay: If you want to learn more about Philippine biodiversity, especially yung mga basics niya, you can follow ‘yung Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter of our organization, ‘yung BCSP. So, meron din kaming YouTube channel, marami doong videos on biodiversity conservation work. Bukod doon, you can also follow the Facebook page of AGHAM, and you can learn more about the different kinds of issues na pwedeng gamitin ang science para tumulong to push for how it can serve the Filipino people.

Bryan: Thank you for listening to this episode. Gubatbp. and Forest Foundation would like to thank our guests Anabelle Plantilla and Jay Fidelino. 

To learn more about Biodiversity Finance Initiative, visit their website at www.biofin.org/philippines and www.biofin.org/ 

To see more of Jay’s work, please check out his Instagram @jsfedelino. You can also check out the Biodiversity Conservation Society of the Philippines Facebook page at @biodiversity.conservation.ph. You can also check out Agham Nasyunal’s Twitter page at @AghamNasyunal.

We’d also like to thank our featured musician for this episode, The Ransom Collective. They are an indie folk band based in Manila. The group is made up of members Kian Ransom, Jermaine Choa Peck, Leah Halili, sisters Lily and Muriel Gonzales, and Redd Claudio. 

We just listened to the song “Open Road” from their album Traces. Check out the rest of their songs on Spotify. 

At www.gubatbp.forestfoundation.ph, you can browse through our maps featured on each episode and resource materials that you can read and check out after listening to our episodes.