Sustainability Unplugged 2021: Meet the 8 Leaders Creating Ripples of Change for a Sustainable Philippines

Converse. Collaborate. Celebrate. Unplug!

The sustainability community united and sparked conversations that can change the world last December 4, 2021 through Sustainability UNPLUGGED 2021, the inaugural summit of SustainablePH, Society of Sustainability Practitioners, SustainablePH Youth, and Christian + Collective, where we brought together sustainability champions in all areas into a half-day gathering to unplug and celebrate with the nation’s growing community.

Unplugged is out to reinvent how we come together as a community of professionals and practitioners; handing the reins of the conversation from those on stage to everyone in the room. This purpose envelopes the entire summit - from the breakout session to the leadership awards where we highlight seemingly “ordinary” people doing absolutely extraordinary things,” - Shawntel Nieto, Program Head and President of SSP.

During the summit, we recognized leaders under 40 years old who champion the next generation of sustainability leadership.

Get to know their journeys as they excel, influence, and take action to advance sustainability in our country!

Meet the 8 Sustainability Leaders!

Academic Sustainability Leadership

GIL CRUZ

Head, Office of Environmental Sustainability – Bataan Peninsula State University

READ GIL’S STORY

Gil is an active researcher and community development worker, serving as project leader of Revive The River Project – a community-led and science-driven rehabilitation of rivers and protection of coastal areas of Bataan, and the Project mentor of BIOFLOAT: Hybrid Solar and Wind Actuated Floating Island Aerators with Phytoremediation.

He teaches environmental engineering to engineering students and launched a webinar and pitching project, TECH4ENVI: Advancing Innovation and Technology for the Environment.

Arts and Culture Sustainability Leadership

MELISSA YEUNG-YAP

CEO-Founder, Got Heart Group of Social Enterprises; CEO of Greenstone Pharmaceutical

READ MELISSA’S STORY

Melissa has been conducting art therapy sessions for underprivileged children and those affected by disasters since she was 13 years old. She also founded the Got HeART Gallery to promote her advocacies and support various artists and artisans.

Her works around the themes “IndiGenius” (indigenous ingenuity), and “Modern ARThropology” – a modern take on indigenous culture and history, and her paintings and sculptures offer a modern glimpse of the past with the hope of inviting audiences, to look back with gratitude towards our indigenous heritage, and to move forward into the future with deep appreciation and love for the environment, art, and culture.

Corporate Practitioner Sustainability Leadership

SAMANTHA BETIA

Senior Public Relations and Sustainability Specialist, Metro Pacific Water

READ SAMANTHA’S STORY

Samantha’s work in preceding Metro Pacific Water’s TATAP Illongo and Hugas Luwas Dumaguete – programs that teach the importance of water conservation and proper hygiene practices through community education programs, made her corporate work and purpose aligned.

She also led the establishment of rainwater catch basins in rural areas of Cagayan de Oro and Marawi in Mindanao and Dalayday Ilat – a program that cleaned up the shores of Laguna de Bay Los Baños area.

Entrepreneur Sustainability Leadership

JONATHAN CO

Project Head, Sentinel Upcycling Technologies

READ JONATHAN’S STORY

Jonathan’s family has been in the plastic industry for over 58 years. “How did I discover sustainability as my mission? I didn’t, I was born into it!” he said.

His leadership at Sentinel Upcycling Technologies, an enterprise that turns single-use packaging waste into durable materials — such as school chairs, mobile bins, park benches, and more — has been leading the change in the plastics industry. Through his work, he has helped scale the business of upcycling in the country.

Faith and Community Action Sustainability Leadership

AKRISAH HELIG

Owner-Founder, Kreations Upcycle Furniture Manufacturing

READ AKRISAH’S STORY

Akrisah’s work with KREations — a for-profit social enterprise that empowers women’s creativity for sustainability, brings holistic transformation to marginalized women in communities, and redemptive works in the environment through reusing or repurposing fabric waste.

Akrisah began her faith-driven entrepreneurial journey in 2014 while working as a campus missionary in a Christian Organization. Then, in 2015, she began pursuing a Master of Divinity degree at a seminary and served as the senior pastor of their local church. In 2021, she was accepted to the Dream Bigger Ventures accelerator program for Christian Faith Driven entrepreneurs in the Philippines.

Non-Profit Sustainable Development Leadership

DEXTER YANG

Executive Director, GoodGovPH Inc.

READ DEXTER’S STORY

Dexter’s work at GoodGovPH, a youth-led non-profit organization that advocates for good governance in the Philippines, paved the way to implement projects that promote participatory, transparent, accountable, responsive, and sustainable governance nationwide. In 2020, he led volunteers in driving the Bantay Bayan campaign to help monitor the LGU response to the COVID-19 pandemic and respond to citizens’ legal concerns. Together with his members in GoodGovPH, he also launched the Simulan Natin 2022 election campaign.

Most recently, he led the pilot implementation of the Seal of Good Youth Governance program, a training program for youth groups in Laguna to institutionalize good governance practices. Through this program, three LGUs in Laguna have included Good Youth Governance initiatives in their 2022 budget.

Public Service Sustainability Leadership

THALE JOY ESCUTON

Writer, PAG-IBIG Fund

READ THALE’S STORY

A writer under its Public and Media Affairs Department, Thale crafted a Sustainable Housing Program research and policy paper and designed campaign plans to further the concept of Sustainable Housing in Pag-IBIG Fund and other Key Shelter Agencies in the Philippines.

She is also instrumental in creating more campaign programs for Pag-IBIG members to sustain or keep their homes away from foreclosure especially amid the grappling effects of the pandemic, including the agency’s Home Saver Programs, which provide housing borrowers options for remediation due to non-payment of arrears; and the Home Equity Appreciation Loan (HEAL) Program which is an incentive that provides good-paying housing loan borrowers and installment buyers an opportunity to avail of another loan based on their existing or mortgaged collateral properties with the Fund.

Youth Sustainability Leadership

NAIRAH TAMBIE

President, Batang Transformers Association – Lanao Chapter

READ NAIRAH’S STORY

Through Nairah’s advocacy of youth empowerment, she established three youth organizations to encourage youth involvement in the community, She founded the Organization of Genuine Outreach Program (OGOP) to increase senior high school students from Mindanao State University – Senior High School’s participation in community initiatives.

In 2019, she brought together student leaders from around Lanao del Sur to form the Federation of Ranaw Youth Student Leaders (FRYSL), a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting student participation in peace and community development. In the same year, she founded the Bangsamoro PeaceMovers, which consists of students from Madrasahs and Torils (Islamic Schools), as well as Islamic Youth Organizations.

The 8 Sustainability Leaders will receive LAWIG, a trophy designed by Artist on a Mission, Kristine Lim, exclusively for SustainablePH’s UNPLUGGED Sustainability Leadership Awards. Lim is also the Director of Culture and Arts of SustainablePH

LAWIG was scrupulously forged from scrap metals forming a paraw resting on top of a rock. This modernly concretizes the time in the story of Noah when the flood had subsided and the Ark found its way on top of Mount Ararat.

Different sectors, advocacies, and backgrounds, yet have a common goal — and that is to bring ripple of change in their communities. This is our salute to the winners for being the forerunners of change toward a more sustainable future.

Congratulations again to our 8 sustainability leaders who stood out from over 100 nominations!

We would also like to thank the panel of judges who shared their expertise, experience, and incredible passion for the sustainability mission.