12-year-old Maxinne Santos generously donates 'angpao' money to WWF-Philippines

May 2017

Genuine care for the environment certainly transcends age. This was proven by 12-year-old Maxinne Santos who has donated PhP 3,000 of the ‘angpao’ money last May 2017. She received the money from her godmother which was given to WWF-Philippines through its National Advisory Council Chairman, Vicente Perez, Jr.

Maxinne, a Grade 7 student, shared that she became concerned about the environment when she learned about the 17 Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations in their “Be the Change” class in school. “When I hear our forests are being cut and endangered animals are being killed, I feel sad. When I visit other countries and see less pollution and a lot of trees, I wish the same for our country. I want to donate to WWF because I know that they help take care of the environment in the Philippines,” she said.

Her mother, Tina, expressed how proud she is of her daughter for caring about things beyond her family and school. She also intimated how Maxinne was insistent to give a part of her cash gift she received to WWF. “She had a project in school before and had a chance to speak to WWF through the help of Vince Perez. That was her first encounter with WWF and it clearly made an impact,” she quipped.

Maxinne’s donation will go to WWF-Philippines’ tamaraw conservation efforts in partnership with the indigenous communities in Mindoro. Tamaraws are considered to be the most endangered species in the Philippines with only 401 of them left.

This heartwarming and encouraging gesture proves that more Filipinos across different age groups have now become supporters of WWF-Philippines’ mission to build a future where everyone can live in harmony with nature.