A pitch for environmental thrusts

BENCHWARMER
Ramon Dacawi

      

Three youths, I guess still in their teens or early 20s, dropped by the office in November, 2009. They were up here to make a pitch for fund support to the World Wildlife Fund, that prestigious world-wide nature conservation group active in our country.

They were referred to us, apparently because, now and then, we write about local environmental efforts and, now and then, repair with kids to our watershed where they explore its flora and fauna and plant or tend to a pine seedling.
           

The young visitors went away empty-handed. Still, they  told us they understand why we couldn’t pitch in for now. Later, we felt we were subtly arrogant, noting we didn’t even ask for their names. We could have refreshed our own youthful idealism and activism way back in the ‘70s if only we had asked and listened to them share us why they volunteered to work for the future of the world’s environment.
           

Instead, we told them money is not the problem. It’s the answer to the problem, but that we didn’t have the answer.
           

If it’s a saving grace, we assured to help them make their pitch through this corner, supposedly a warm bench turned cold by guilt bordering on remorse over our deflecting them from their purpose.
           

It was a sneaky ploy, our harping on local environmental efforts that, we rubbed in, also badly need support as they run almost on empty.(Never mind if some of these local efforts and programs were and are used – without the knowledge and consent of the working volunteers - to obtain from abroad funds that are now used for programs (and travels abroad) other than the ones used in the premise of the project proposal.)
           

Still, our turning the tables on our youthful visitors was only a rung higher than the despicable depth we, boys in high school, would go to whenever a generous girl classmate we had borrowed money from would approach to ask repayment. Before she could make her pitch, we’d preempt her by asking if she could lend us more.
           

It’s a Third World attitude of dependence, of our seeing the West through a one-way mirror. We share the common view that it’s the developed countries’ responsibility to support our efforts in the so-called South. After all, they developed and continue to progress through the exploitation of our raw natural resources, say, “blood” diamond in Africa and gold, timber and water up here in the Cordillera.
           

What brought our sense back - after the youths left -  is the fact that WWF is not and never was a business corporation spurred by material acquisitiveness and profit. More than that, it’s a fact that WWF is always at the forefront of credibility, be it in leadership, work on the ground and transparency.
           

The Fund was established in 1961, by a group of European scientists, naturalists, business and political leaders led by His Royal Highness Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands as its first president. Among those at the organizational meeting were African wildlife researcher Julian Huxley, vice-president Peter Scott of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) and director general E. M. Nicholson of the British Nature Conservancy.
           

Here in our country, WWF has been focused in 11 conservation projects, among them forest conservation in Sibuyan, Romblon and El Nido (Palawan), whale shark eco-tourism in Donsol, Sorsogon, protection of the Tubbataha Reefs that are in the World Heritage List, and coastal management in Nasugbu (Batangas), Tawi-Tawi and Apo Reef (Mindoro).
           

On climate change, WWF is into promotion of clean and renewable energy, awareness campaigns such as Earth Hour and Switch, and preparing communities for climate change impacts.
           

On youth education, it is developing modules on conservation, climate change and waste/pollution for public schools, and conducting school tours all over the Philippines.
           

World-wide, the WWF in 2008 used 82 percent of its funds, or $161.8 million, for program expenses, and only 12 percent ($22.3 million) for fundraising and only six percent (12.5 million) for finance and administration.
           

The brochure for the 2009 campaign for the Philippines reflects the 2007 annual report: 77 percent for conservation programs, 8 percent for fundraising, 8 percent for policy work, 6 percent for administration and 1 percent for communications.
           

Such fund arrangement is something smaller development groups, be they Third World governments or non-government organizations, be they in environment or village development, can adopt to shore up their own credibility and effectiveness in actual conservation work. 
           

It may not be the “culture” of development in and for the Third World, but the suspicion is that some development groups use bulk of their funds for administrative expense like salaries and attendance to international conferences, leaving a pittance for actual development of the beneficiary communities.
           

Donors to the current fund drive for the Philippine projects will be sure they will be helping make a difference by channeling their support to WWF. WWF assures all contributions will be in support of WWF Philippines and donors will receive regular updates on how their money is helping to address environmental problems
           

If you want to support local efforts like the children’s “Eco-Walk” and “Urban Heritage Walk”, please email us.  (email:ecowalkmondax@gmail.com for comments).