Haribon celebrates women leaders of the Southern Sierra Madre during Women’s Forum

As the Philippines celebrates Earth Month this April and Earth Day on April 22, Haribon shines a spotlight on women leading the charge in environmental governance in the Sierra Madre.

Building on the momentum of the Women’s Forum 2026, held last March 26 at the Park Inn, Quezon City, Haribon continues to advocate for a “seat at the table” for women in every environmental decision-making process. The forum, hosted by the Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB) and supported by BIOFIN, gathered 111 participants to discuss the intersection of gender equity and biodiversity.

A technical highlight of the event was the presentation of the GEDSI (Gender Equality, Disability, and Social Inclusion) Toolkit by Haribon’s Noel A. Resurreccion. This toolkit is designed to ensure that no one is left behind in the mission to protect the natural world, emphasizing that inclusive governance leads to more sustainable conservation outcomes.

From disaster to leadership

At the heart of this movement are the women of Haribon’s WePhili (Women in Environmental Governance) project with support by Greenseed. For the women leaders of the KALIPI Real Federation in Northern Quezon, the commitment to conservation is deeply personal. They still carry the memories of 2004’s Typhoon Winnie, which devastated their communities with floating logs and destroyed infrastructure.

Today, these women are no longer just survivors; they are leaders. “Let’s value the next generation, because we have children, we have grandchildren—teach them about our environment, and that they too must value it,” shares Beatriz Leynes of KALIPI Capalong.

This passion for restoration is echoed by Helen Siat of KALIPI Kiloloron, who notes: “When we do our work with passion, we will not get tired even when it is difficult. We will not grow weary, instead we experience hope and joy”.

Both women and men celebrated for their passion

The forum also recognized the 2026 GAD Biodiversity Stewards, featuring leaders whose conservation journeys were forged through long-standing partnerships with Haribon. 

Awardees Mary Jane C. Pame of KAAMPAKA and Teodoro Canda of NAMATI represent over a decade of community-led success in Surigao del Sur.

From establishing the Burgos Bird and Fish Sanctuary to launching sustainable “danggit” enterprises, their recognition proves that when we provide technical and entrepreneurial tools to local stewards, they become the most effective defenders of Philippine biodiversity.

A call to action for Earth Day

Despite their critical role, women remain underrepresented in formal environmental leadership, with only 15% of government environmental agencies led by women globally. To bridge this gap, Haribon Chair Marianne Quebral concluded the Women’s Forum with a powerful reminder that “the path to a biodiverse future must be paved with social equity”.

To sustain this momentum, Haribon invites the public and policy-makers to support women through three key actions:

1. Invest in Biodiversity-Friendly Enterprises (BDFEs) to ensure protecting nature is a viable way of life.
2. Fund technical capacity-building so more women can scale their restoration and monitoring work.
3. Support their inclusion in formal governance, ensuring they have a permanent seat where environmental decisions are made.

As Rhea Castillo of KALIPI Ungos describes it: “This is the start of a seed of hope that grows and flourishes for other women out there”.

Anna Devine of Greenseed shared in a pre-recorded video during the forum, “…Promoting gender equality in environmental governance is not only a question of fairness. It actually leads to better, more inclusive, and more effective solutions.”

Haribon’s WePhili Project is supported by Greenseed, an NGO that supports women leaders who address both gender inequality and environmental degradation.

“…When diverse voices are heard and valued, the outcomes benefit both people and nature,” added Devine.

Support inclusive governance. These women leaders of the Sierra Madre are frontline guardians of our forests. You can support them and other communities by donating below, or partner with us: partnerships@haribon.org.ph.