April 28, 2026 · Over 80 journalists, storytellers, and climate and sustainability advocates gathered on Saturday, April 25 at The Astbury in Poblacion for Earth Happy Hours, a mixer organized by women-led media and strategy non-profit Sustina. Co-hosted with GainForest, Waves for Water, Masungi Georeserve, ABS-CBN Foundation, and YACAP, the event was designed to be an intimate gathering where participants could engage directly with experts about pressing social and environmental issues.
Sustina Co-Founder and Executive Director Anna Reyes expressed her gratitude to everyone who attended and emphasized the power of stories to connect people. “We wanted this to be a space where conversations can flourish—where a journalist covering the environment can sit across from a community organizer or a scientist, and something unexpected happens. That’s where the best stories begin,” she said.
Instead of a panel discussion, five “planeteer” stations were set up inside the venue—each with one representative from the five co-hosting organizations to pitch their story. MasungiLocal Climate & EcologyMasungi GeoreserveThe karst conservation area in Rizal that has become the emblem of Philippine conservation conflict — restoration, land disputes, and attacks on its defenders.Read more in the Glossary → Georeserve was represented by Advocacy Officer Alexandra Bacani; Waves for Water by Communications Officer Renz Perez; GainForest by Head of Operations Niña Cerilla; ABS-CBN Foundation by Program Head Sar Alcayde-Agcaoili; and YACAP NCR by Spokesperson Eiren Gee Buenviaje.
Participants spent ten minutes per station to listen and ask questions before rotating to the next one.
Bacani discussed how the national push for clean energy was impacting reforestation efforts in Masungi Georeserve, highlighting that finding climate solutions should not come at the expense of land conservation. Next to her, Perez demonstrated how Waves for Water brings potable water to far-flung communities in the Philippines through their patented water filtration system, while Cerilla from GainForest spoke about the data gap in biodiversityGlobal EssentialsBiodiversityThe variety of life in an ecosystem — species, genes, and habitats. The Philippines is one of only 17 megadiverse countries, and one of the most threatened.Read more in the Glossary → in the Philippines.
Meanwhile, Alcayde-Agcaoili shared the story of communities in Lobo, Batangas that live along the Verde Island Passage—the center of the world’s marine shorefish biodiversity—while Buenviaje recounted the continued militarization and harassment of farmers in Lupang Ramos, Dasmañas, Cavite, amid a legal battle for their land rights.
After the storytelling sessions, the floor opened for food, drinks, and music, segueing into casual networking.
“Environmentalists are some of the bravest people in the world. They also take on some of the hardest battles,” said Nina Unlay, Sustina Co-Founder and Editorial Director. “One of the reasons we built Sustina is so that these advocates don’t have to feel like they’re doing the work alone. Earth Week Happy Hours is the first of many spaces we want to create together.”
