WFTO Asia Media launch

March 8 is International Women’s Day. This year’s theme is, “Equal Access to education, training and science & technology: Pathway to decent work for women”; over 100 countries all over the world celebrated on this day the various contributions and achievements of women.

The mission and vision of World Fair Trade Organization Asia (WFTO Asia) is to uplift the conditions of thousands of grassroots producers and workers in the poorest of Asian countries in which majority are composed of women. The WOMEN EMPOWERING WOMEN IN FAIR TRADE event is a celebration of the achievements and contributions of women in Fair Trade and in their respective communities. It showcased women in Fair Trade as leaders and change makers, highlighting the experiences of these women in helping other women that created a cycle of empowerment.

Ramona Ramos, Executive Director of WFTO Asia says, “At present, we have more than 90 member organizations and communities in 14 Asian countries, majority are women and women led, who supports women in creating sustainable livelihood solutions for her and her family.”

Simultaneously, WFTO Asia pre-launched its new regional consumer brand & logo with the tagline, “Shopping with a Conscience.” In connection, WFTO Asia will introduce its 2011 consumer campaign called “100% Guilt Free Shopper.”

The campaign aims to inform everyone, especially the consumers, what Fair Trade is and the 10 principles it represents. It aims to empower the consumers that by switching to Fair Trade by either buying (certified WFTO Asia Fair Trade products and/or the organization’s advocacy merchandise) or supporting the organization (Sponsoring/ Donating/ Fundraising, becoming a volunteer intern, and or participating in the organization’s events), they have the power to eradicate poverty, stop child and forced labor, advocate for gender equality, support sustainability and capacity building, safeguard the environment, promote equality in trade, and open opportunities for health and education.

“This campaign targets 1,000,000 switchers by the end of the year. 1,000,000 people in Asia who realized that thoughtless buying isn’t enough. 1,000,000 people who believes that they can use the power of their purchase to change the lives of millions of disadvantaged communities all over the world,” says Toni Zuniga, Business Development and Brand Officer of WFTO Asia

The ‘100% Guilt Free Shopper’ campaign will officially begin on April with the launch of WFTO Asia’s Regional 100% Guilt Free Shopping Ambassadors. These people will follow the footsteps of WFTO’s Global Ambassador Emma Watson in promoting WFTO and Fair Trade.

Photos taken from World Fair Trade Organization Asia (WFTO Asia) Fb Page.

Cebu Green Economy Series: Renewable Energy Summit 2011

With issues of climate change and environmental degradation brought into the limelight, calls for a shift in policy frameworks, development paradigms and lifestyles become ever more urgent. Such issues highlight a global problem with increasingly felt local impacts: heavier rains, flashfloods, sea-level rise, spread of infectious diseases, scarcity of resources with heavy reliance on unsustainable fossil fuel for energy needs.

Taking in these concerns, there is growing international consensus on the urgency of developing low carbon, resource-efficient, and socially inclusive economies as expressed in an emerging “Green Economy” framework. This poses a critical challenge to existing development models that measure progress only by looking at the GNP and GDP as indicators, without considering the sustainability of societies. The message of the “Green Economy” model is simple: not all investments are good investments! In fact, most of our society’s economic wealth has been generated through the overexploitation and pollution of our environment, at the expense of the most vulnerable sectors which bear the brunt of the impacts. Taking sustainable development as a guiding principle, a “Green Economy” framework requires the strengthening of three inseparable pillars: economic development, social development and environmental protection.

The search for local solutions to these problems led to the formation of the Cebu Green Economy Series, a string of events that allows stakeholders to discuss relevant issues linking environment, society and economy. Its aim is to explore “rapid but low risk” alternatives to the destructive ways in which society has carried out developmental projects that exploit the environment and marginalized the poor. Under the Cebu Green Economy Series, we address themes such as: 1) clean and alternative energy; 2) green jobs and investments; 3) food security; 4) sustainable transportation; 5) sustainable waste management and resource conservation; 6) eco-friendly built environment and architecture, and 7) liveable cities and urban environment, to name a few.

To start the series, we are organizing a Renewable Energy (RE) Summit with the theme “Meeting the Challenges of Sustainable Energy development in Central Visayas” on March 7-8, 2011 at the SM City Cebu Trade Hall. Through this summit, we aim to achieve the following objectives: 1) to develop mechanisms and infrastructure for enabling a market for RE; 2) to map out resources and potentials for RE development in Central Visayas; and 3) to formulate an action plan for promoting RE as the best alternative to heavy and unsustainable reliance on fossil fuels for energy needs.

To meet these objectives, this multi-stakeholder event, involving local government units, civil society and business sectors, will provide a venue for plenary and panel discussions on topics such as the power situation of Central Visayas, the Renewable Energy Act of 2008, and public-private partnerships, within the larger framework of promoting “Green Economy”. There will also be a two-day exhibition highlighting best practices for the implementation of renewable energy programs in communities, LGUs and NGOs. Companies, banks and other organizations that have products and services that advance the development of renewable energy are welcome to join the exhibition. The activity will be capped by a keynote address to be delivered by Department of Energy Secretary Ruben Almendras and Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri. Details of the program will be disseminated.

ALTER SPACE: Environmental Awareness Facebook-Game

Coming this February-March is the New Filipino-made Facebook App or game to Educate Public on how to reduce their carbon footprint. ALTER SPACE: Environmental Awareness Facebook-Game created by Aboitiz Equity Ventures. There has been so much rain the past few weeks and a couple of ridiculously scorching hot days. What better way to educate people who are addicted to facebook games than to make one that teaches them about environmental awareness at the same time!

The game is called Alter Space, and it is the first Philippine-made environmental awareness Facebook game that directly addresses the greater public about the ways with which they could do their share in proactively contributing to the preservation of the Earth’s resources.

Social games are a significant draw for social networking site users. As of this writing, a staggering 56 million Facebook users play daily and 290 million play monthly. Up to 265 million Facebook gamers, meanwhile, spend 210 minutes playing games. Twenty-percent of these game players even pay cash for in-game benefits. In the Philippines, 54 percent of social networking site users cite gaming as the reason they log on. There are currently 18,124,220 Filipinos on Facebook.

ABOITIZ, one of the Philippines’ leading companies is launching a Facebook game-application that is geared towards educating people about the concepts of carbon footprint and cleaner and renewable sources of energy and how being responsible and mindful of their activities could help achieve this end.

While many people talk about the importance of saving the environment, very few really take on the proactive role in addressing the issue. Not many of them, in fact, know that switching from disposable plastic bottles to reusable ones can create a big overall impact in preserving the resources of our planet.

While addressing the bigger issues of carbon footprint reduction and environmental preservation, Alter Space employs some uniquely Filipino features in doing so. The use of pamaypay (native fan), the playing of the game sungka, and eating what we call “dirty ice cream” are incorporated into the game for that distinct Filipino flavor.



About ALTER SPACE:

Alter Space is easy to use. Game players’ mission is to take care of their own little planet. They do this by keeping their carbon footprint levels low, while still keeping their Happiness levels up. They will have to accomplish fun tasks and challenges while their carbon footprint is measured.

Every choice they make affects their environment, and the game always gives feedback as to whether the player’s choice was environmentally sound or not. They can also invite friends to be their neighbors, and their over-all carbon footprint as a community will be calculated.

If they fail to make the cleaner and greener choice, their virtual planet will experience disasters like Smog, which cause their avatar to lose interaction, and Heat Wave, wherein they will have to perform extra tasks or pay a fee to bring their carbon footprint down.

Aside from the carbon footprint calculator, game players’ progress is also measured through their Happiness level, Current-cy, and Experience points.



Mini-games, meanwhile, provide game players an interactive way with which they could learn more about the different sources of cleaner and renewable energy. Harvesting alternative energy is how they earn points in their planet—a significant function of the game that encourages players to seek out and use alternative energy.

These mini-games include Solar, wherein they are tasked to catch as many sunbeams as they can; Geo, wherein they are asked to click the steam that goes out of the valves of hot spots; and

Hydro, wherein they create a passageway for the water to reach turbines.
Practical tips, trivia and other features guide players along as they strive to make their virtual planet a cleaner and greener one.

Alter Space is one social game to watch out for. It’s free and anyone with a Facebook account could easily play the game. And while they are kept entertained, they, too, learn how they could do their bit in reducing their carbon footprint and helping preserve environmental resources to help achieve a better future for both people and planet.

Alter Space will be available in Facebook February 28, 2011. You can join its fan page by visiting http://www.facebook.com/AlterSpaceGame

Let's reduce our carbon footprints and support Filipino works by playing Alter Space!

NGO in the Philippines wins BBC World Challenge!

The NGO that won the BBC World Challenge was from the Philippines, specifically from Bacolod City. The local Philippine nongovernment organization won the top prize at the BBC World Challenge 2010 for its perfected model of a hydraulic ram pump that has brought water to remote villages in the Philippines and other parts of the world.

The Alternative Indigenous Development Foundation Inc. (AIDFI) based in Barangay (village) Mansilingan, Bacolod City, won the top prize of US$20,000, according to Hazel Stuart, a British national based in Bacolod City.

The awarding ceremonies for BBC's World Challenge was held in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, on Monday. Auke Idzenga of AIDFI won the whole thing out of 800 projects worldwide. It got down to 60, then 12, then the final three. What an amazing achievement for our Philippine NGO!

About World Challenge:

Now on its sixth year, the BBC World Challenge is a global competition aimed at finding projects or small businesses from around the world that have shown enterprise and innovation at grassroots level.

Other recognition/s:

Last November 18, AIDFI's entry "Running Water Uphill" also won the Community Initiative Award of the Energy Institute Awards held in London.

AIDFI has so far installed 170 ram pumps for about 50,000 beneficiaries. The AIDFI program centers around the locally perfected model of the old hydraulic ram pump, a device that can pump water to very high elevations without the use of electricity or fuel.

The awards ceremonies was broadcast last December 4 on the BBC World News and announced on the website on the same day. Visit the BBC World Challenge Site. Or see my campaign post for them HERE!

Nature's Legacy's Earth Week Celebration

Nature's Legacy's Earth Week Celebration will be on December 8-11, 2010. Nature's Legacy Ex-Import will also be launching their I Volunteer to ♥ Earth campaign.


About Nature's Legacy:
Nature's Legacy is a rising global manufacturer of home furnishings and garden accessories based in the Municipality of Compostela in Cebu, the furniture capital of the Philippines. With its pioneering stonecast manufacturing process as its core competency, Nature's Legacy has become one of the prime movers in the stone casting industry.

The company was named Nature's Legacy because of the very nature of its design policy, which is to incorporate locally abundant raw materials into our product design, using its natural aesthetic values, while ensuring that these raw materials are responsibly sourced with careful consideration of the environment. Indigenous materials such as local stone, dead shrubs, and fallen twigs and branches are processed and combined with other mix media using fully integrated manufacturing methods to produce original innovative designs which are executed with superior quality craftsmanship that have been very well received in the world market. (Continue Reading...)

Illac Diaz & MyShelter Foundation

Illac Diaz doing his Presentation

Former Actor/Model and now turned Social Entrepreneur Illac Diaz presented his advocacy through the Understanding Choices Forum part1: "Living on the Edge" which was made up of representatives from the government, NGOs, Academe and student to talk about the reality that we are all facing and the effects of climate change and what we can do about it.

One thing that struck me where he mentions that "We Filipinos have gained a preference to storms as if it is the same thing and we don't really have to do anything about it.We allocate millions of so-called Calamity funds but can we act before the storm? Wouldn't that be more cheaper?”

The Understanding Choices Forum of the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI) was held last October 29, 2010 at the Eduardo Aboitiz Studies Center. Through the talks, I was able to learn a lot about the Philippines' role in climate change, that we are in the front lines and we need to adapt and find our own local-innovative measures since what applies in the 1st world countries may not apply to our situation.

Illac with RAFI's Evelyn Nacario-Castro

GREENING is not our Focus.

Most corporate social responsibility campaigns are focused on greening, he says, which should not be the case. We should focus on protecting ourselves and let the first world countries deal with greening, he advises. “We have to be solutions-oriented” as we are the frontline of the effects of climate change like harsh winds, and extreme droughts. Typhoon Frank and Typhoon Ketsena showed our need to build adaptive communities more than ever.

“The people who are not emitting or contributing most to climate change are affected more like Philippines. We are experiencing cumulative, irreversible and global effects of climate change. We want adaptation, resiliency, less rebuilding and less deaths.”

MySHELTER FOUNDATION

He presented then the things he was working on about the MyShelter Foundation which showed the 50th school built using old Spanish techniques that have been used to build centuries old cathedrals. Together with a group of Architects and Engineers, they designed schools that could withstand up to 300 KM/hr winds with only simple materials and tools to use (new science to old technology).

What’s interesting is that what they use as one of their building materials is the1.5L bottles. Why bottles? Well, it is obviously abundant; lasts of up to 700 years of natural decomposition. An interesting substitute for hollow blocks. Another option for their bottle-school designs are what they call "Earth Bags," or use the ever resilient Bamboo.

Alternative technology doesn’t have to mean it’s risky.” They  won four prestigious international design awards including AIM Youngest Honors and Prestige, Reader’s Digest Everyday Hero, MIT’s Humphrey Awardee.

It was really amazing and interesting to have heard Illac Diaz's Advocacy from himself as to reading it over the Internet or through reading materials. His passion for his craft and his drive to excellence and international standards has makes him very admirable and that he still continues to pursue and build disaster-resilient communities in an ever-changing climate of today.

“Climate Change is certain. Survivability is not.”

Climate Change and the Global Climate Politics Forum

Climate Change and the Global Climate Politics entails a lot of thought and information that needs to be discussed, and you may have some questions:

What is global climate politics?

What has been the recent 'climate' on global climate politics?

What is the truth of the matter on the climate change reports and initiatives i.e. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) marred with contoversies and debates?

What are the impacts on the failed negotiations, i.e. the last COP 15 in Copenhagen, Denmark failure to agree on a binding agreement for post-Kyoto negotiations and uncertainty of the upcoming COP 16 in Cancun, Mexico on December 2010 to the country and to each and every one of us?

The Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. (RAFI) is inviting you to the second part of the Living on the Edge Series: Climate Change Focus of the RAFI-EADSC's Understanding Choices Forum entitled Climate Change and the Global Climate Politics. The forum will will be held on November 15, 2010, Monday, 1:00 PM – 5:30 PM at Bryant George Hall, Eduardo Aboitiz Development Studies Center of the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. The forum will highlight inputs from two international climate change negotiators for the Philippines, Atty. Antonio La Viña and Ms. Esperanza Garcia. The forum intend to facilitate and broaden understanding on the daunting issue of climate change, particularly on the international debates on climate change and related global initiatives and its impact to the country and to each and every citizen.

About the Speakers:

La Vina is the Dean of the Ateneo School of Government and Chairman of the United Nations Collaborative Initiative on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation at United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Climate Change Conferences of Parties (UNFCC COP).

Garcia, Director of the Global Warming and Climate Change Initiatives for the International Youth Council and 'Climate Voice’ writer for Oxfam covering news for the UN General Assembly and Clinton Global Initiative. She is the founder of the Philippine Youth Climate Movement.

Eco Dash: The Bottle School Run

The Eco Dash: The Bottle School Run will be on November 14, 2010 at 5:30AM, The Terraces, Ayala Center Cebu. Bring plastic bottles (2L, 1.5L) for the Eco Dash: The Bottle School Run to help build cebu's first bottle school!

Pledge your support guys! Help build the first bottle school here in Cebu! For the registration, please register at the Eco Dash Booth at the Ayala Active Zone :) And pls don't forget to bring your 1.5 or 2 litres PET bottles. Thanks for all the support!! :P