YES for Oceans 2022: How young Filipinos are advocating for marine conservation
Young people are taking the helm in conserving the Philippines’ oceans. World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Philippines’ National Youth Council (NYC) is creating ripples of change among young leaders in the country with the mission to engage the youth in marine conservation through the Youth Environment Summit (YES) for Oceans 2022.
Ron Caguliodo, the innovator of YES for Oceans, said that she “felt the lack of initiatives to gather the youth to discuss the issues in our marine environment” amidst the Covid-19 pandemic. She is a Youth Achievers Awardee from General Santos City who champions environmental conservation and a member of the WWF-Philippines’ NYC. She helped gather young people from all over the Philippines and neighboring Asia Pacific countries to learn more about oceans and support the achievements of the Sustainable Development Goal 14: Life Below Water.
WWF-Philippines’ NYC connects with their fellow young people to spread WWF’s message of environmental conservation. Together with the youth, WWF-Philippines and its NYC are promoting positive and concrete conservation efforts in more communities.
Since June 22, the Council has hosted YES for Oceans webinars attended by more than 300 young people. The first workshop was for Mindanao led by Ron. The following leg in Visayas on July 11 was led by Mina Lim, a marine biologist from the University of the Philippines - Diliman. The Luzon workshop was held on August 12 led by Mirus Ponon, Founder of the ASEAN Youth Advocates Network.
Young people raising awareness about our oceans
Ron explained that they designed the summit “to have separate webinars in the three major islands of the Philippines.” She wanted to emphasize the interconnectivity of the marine environmental issues that we face considering that we all live in the same country and the same planet.
YES for Oceans’ regional webinars successfully educated young Filipinos about the Philippines’ “environmental problems at the local scale,” said Mina. The youth participants can look forward to the upcoming clean-up activity, exhibit, and culminating event set to happen in the coming months with the support of WWF-Philippines and the Bank of the Philippine Islands.
The project outcome of YES for Oceans is to create a youth declaration that tackles the issues affecting our oceans. The NYC emphasizes that young people also have a stake in how our oceans are managed and that is why the voice of the youth must be heard. By submitting a youth declaration statement, YES for Oceans hopes to influence key decision-makers of the Philippine government in their marine conservation plans with the participation of the youth.
The youth’s interest in saving the environment
“The Filipino youth are environmentally conscious individuals,” said Lim. She said they have shown their curiosity and willingness to help solve both local and global marine issues by recognizing that our oceans connect us all. Lim advocates approaching marine problems “with more sensitivity and specificity.”
She also sees YES for Oceans as an opportunity “for the youth to learn about the status, problems, management, and developments in the marine environment” from various experts. By having relevant information on the table, the youth can make better and informed decisions on how we treat the environment. It is important to let the youth form their own ideas about “the realities of what is happening to our seas and marine resources,” Mina added.
Spreading accurate and factual information to the public is also the goal of YES for Oceans according to Mina. Educating the Filipino youth on environmental problems is meant to raise awareness and create positive actions among the participants. Learning about important environmental issues that affect each and every one of us is the start of the change needed to protect the only planet we have.
The NYC provided an informative platform to the youth through YES for Oceans, according to Mirus. The regional workshops were met with the “growing enthusiasm and concern of the youth in the environment,” he added. The young participants’ excitement in learning about our oceans is a good sign that the youth care about our shared environment.
Youth leaders coming together in environmental conservation
Mirus said that YES for Oceans 2022 is “a venue to align our shared cause and purpose,” and that he wants to “reach more young individuals” in WWF-Philippines’ NYC’s future projects. With the mission to connect and engage with more young Filipinos, the Council is not slowing down in its efforts to advocate for environmental conservation.
With young people as their audience, Ron said that “it is our utmost priority to ensure the participation of the Filipino youth in changing the ending for our planet.” Together, it’s possible to create a future where humans live in harmony with nature and the journey towards that future starts now for the youth.
As members of the Council, Ron experienced collaborating for their “shared aspiration of environmental conservation.” Mina agreed by stating that their “common goal of environmental protection” has allowed her to meet more people with similar mindsets. She added that her experience with WWF-Philippines’ NYC has opened her up to even more diverse and creative ways of helping to #ChangeTheEnding for planet Earth.
