1. Give a brief background on yourself as an environmental advocate

I’ve always loved going outdoors and traveling. I have seen a big difference from yesterday to today wherein the beauty of nature in the Philippines has been slowly deteriorating. I have seen how people are not conscious of their ways and how it greatly affects nature. I decided to start on being mindful on my own, on what I consume and see how these products may greatly affect the environment.

2. How do you advocate for conservation through what you do?

I started doing conscious changes in my lifestyle — in terms of the brands I choose and consume and ensuring they are sustainably sourced and the materials are eco-friendly.  I also slowly influenced people around me through awareness and mindfulness on the negative effects of single use items or materials that are not sustainably sourced.

This year, I have decided to celebrate my birthday differently with my friends. I thought it would be more meaningful and environmentally impactful if I gather my friends and spend the day together restoring nature through tree planting. I have also made a personal commitment to do this often and also encourage other people to join me in this cause to increase environmental awareness. I see this approach as a sustainable way in preparing for a better future for the generations to come.

Above: Meryl and friends during her birthday. This was taken in our Ipo Watershed site where Eco Explorations’ has a forest restoration initiative. You may also schedule for your group, let us know if you want to be part of the initiative!

3. Is there any experience or turning point that changed the way you travel/made you more responsible when it comes to traveling and caring for the environment? 

I always love to go outdoors and I’ve noticed that there are trash irresponsibly disposed everywhere. Proper disposal and segregation doesn’t come naturally among Filipinos. It takes proper education, awareness and participation from the people, school, household and LGUs for this to become a shared responsibility. Ultimately, I want to still share the beauty of our country in the next generations to come. It was a realization that came to me in recent years that if we don’t act now it might be too late.

 

4. What’s an environmental issue/concern/s you hope to address, and how?

Waste management would be a low hanging fruit to address however most Filipinos don’t have the discipline to be mindful of their waste disposal or at the very least to segregate. I personally want to be part of a larger group who are working really hard to address this so I can share some ideas and contribute to address this concern.

4. How can individuals be Eco Explorers?

Everyone can start to be more mindful on the environmental effects of the things they consume. Once they are aware they can make more eco-friendly conscious choices on what could be good for them and the environment in the long run.