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Keep up with the latest news about local changemakers!
This piece is published by Ashoka Philippines through Rappler’s Lighthouse.
MANILA, Philippines – Ashoka Fellow Ann Dumaliang and her sister Billie, who co-founded the award-winning Masungi Georeserve Foundation, are facing new challenges with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ (DENR) cancellation of its contract with Blue Star Construction Development Corporation, Masungi’s affiliate company owned by Ben Dumaliang, their father.
The Masungi Georeserve is the Philippines’ last green corridor, or a link between cities and natural areas. It is a critical watershed that affects the lives of 20 million Filipinos residing in the capital of Metro Manila and nearby provinces and is home to over a hundred thousand species of flora and fauna. The DENR’s decision makes the area even more vulnerable to threats that have hounded it since the foundation’s inception – the exploitation and destruction of natural resources and biodiversity through mining, illegal logging, and the building of resorts and other establishments.
How can you help? Follow Masungi Georeserve closely in the coming weeks and participate in their upcoming campaigns and petitions. Share the news widely along with your statement of support. Alert your representatives to national government like your congressman.
Jonathan Co (right) receives the Impact Entrepreneur of the Year award from previous winners Mark Gersava (left) and Allesandra Gutierrez (middle).
Congratulations to the Impact Entrepreneur of the Year for 2024: Jonathan Co!
Impact Happy Hours is an event co-organized by Villgro Philippines, xchange PH, and Ashoka Philippines in partnership with PhilDev Foundation, makesense, and The Spark Project to bring together entrepreneurs, partners, and like-minded changemakers to strengthen ties and spark new opportunities for social impact.
The latest Impact Happy Hours was held on March 5, 2025 with 83 attendees. Prior to the event, the organizers held public voting for the Impact Entrepreneur of the Year for 2024, a peer-chosen award
recognizing entrepreneurs who have tackled the country’s most pressing challenges and created innovative solutions that uplift communities and spark transformative change. Among the 10 shortlisted nominees, Jonathan Co of Sentinel Upcycling Technologies was announced as the winner.
Through Sentinel UpCycling Technologies, Jonathan is transforming low-value plastic waste into high-impact solutions, proving that innovation and circular economy principles can go hand in hand. By creating durable, sustainable products, Jonathan is driving environmental and social change.
Follow Villgro Philippines and Ashoka Philippines for news on the next Impact Happy Hours.
Other Quick Updates
Ashoka Fellow Amina Evangelista Swanepoel of Roots of Health urged lawmakers to see beyond the disinformation surrounding Senate Bill 1979 which aims to promote sex education. “CSE (Comprehensive Sex Education) is about empowerment. It helps young people navigate adolescence safely and confidently so they can build the lives they want and contribute to their communities in the best ways possible,” she said.
The birth of Riley, a Philippine Eagle hatchling, was the first documented birth of the species without human intervention. Ashoka Fellow Neil Aldrin Mallari urged the government to value forest conservation for the preservation of the Philippine eagle and other wildlife, instead of solely relying on NGOs for this urgent work.
Ashoka Fellow Jaton Zulueta’s organization, AHA! Learning Center, is one of the partners of the Starbucks Abad Santos Tondo Community Store, where a portion of purchases at the establishment goes towards AHA!’s scholarships and after-school learning programs. The coffee company launched its “Get Together” campaign to spread awareness of this partnership.
Do you know any changemakers who are innovating for impact? Let us know!
