ACB, MPIC renew partnership for sustainability and biodiversity
(Seated from left) Ms. June Cheryl “Chaye” Cabal-Revilla, CFO and Chief Sustainability Officer of Metro Pacific Investments Corporation; Philippine Senate President Pro Tempore and ASEAN Biodiversity Hero Loren Legarda; and Dr. Theresa Mundita S. Lim, Executive Director of the ACB.
MANILA, Philippines – The ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) and the leading infrastructure investment company Metro Pacific Investments Corporation (MPIC) inked a renewal of partnership to continue their collaboration towards biodiversity conservation in the next three years at the sidelines of the recently concluded ASEAN Biodiversity Heroes Forum on 11 August.
Under the partnership, ACB and MPIC commit to working further to mainstream the values of biodiversity and implement joint programmes and activities for ecosystem restoration.
“We are happy to work side-by-side with MPIC as one of our private sector partners in championing biodiversity conservation in the country and in the whole ASEAN. This partnership renewal is not just a recognition of the successes of our previous collaboration, but this speaks a lot about the effectiveness of our work in integrating biodiversity across various sectors”, said Dr. Theresa Mundita Lim, ACB executive director.
During the initial partnership forged in 2021, ACB and MPIC jointly implemented regional conservation initiatives such as the ASEAN Green Initiative, the seventh ASEAN Heritage Parks (AHP) Conference, business and biodiversity dialogues, and the ASEAN Biodiversity Heroes recognition programme. MPIC is also supporting Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park, one of the 55 AHPs in the region, through its Shore It Up! Project. The AHPs are protected areas in the region that were recognised for their rich biological resources and effective management. The ACB serves as the secretariat of the AHP programme.
These activities resulted in increasing biodiversity awareness and inspiring meaningful actions and synergies among youths, private, and public sectors; the protection of around 5,300 mangroves in the country, and the improvement of the flora and fauna among the ASEAN Member States that eventually contributed to ecosystems restoration and coastal and marine conservation.
“Being a business involved in essential services, MPIC has embraced a holistic approach in doing sustainability. We underscore the importance of protecting nature and the environment and it is important for us to partner with ACB since we have been doing many good initiatives together. Renewing our partnership is a testament to our commitment in supporting and participating in many initiatives so we can collectively protect nature and have a good future for everyone”, said Ms. June Cheryl Cabal-Revilla, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Sustainability Officer of MPIC.
The signing of the partnership renewal instrument was led by Dr. Lim and Ms. Cabal-Revilla, in the presence of Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda who is also one of the recognised ASEAN Biodiversity Heroes, the highest distinction given to ASEAN citizens with outstanding contributions to biodiversity conservation in the region.
The signing was one of the highlights of the ACB’s ASEAN Biodiversity Heroes Forum and Youth Workshop held from 11 to 12 August 2023, in conjunction with the celebration of the 56th ASEAN Day and the International Youth Day.
About the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity
The ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity is an intergovernmental organisation that facilitates cooperation and coordination among the 10 ASEAN Member States (AMS) and with regional and international organisations on the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity, and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the use of such natural treasures.