September 25, 2025 · Filipino organizations convened as a committee within the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the world’s largest and most diverse environmental network. This marked a historic moment for Philippine conservation as the country became the 11th National Committee in Asia, joining Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Japan, Republic of Korea, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Viet Nam.
Chaired by Haribon Foundation COO Arlie Jo B. Endonila, the joining organizations include: the Department of Environment and Natural ResourcesPH Laws & FrameworksDepartment of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)The Philippine executive department managing forests, protected areas, mining permits, and pollution control. It is the primary regulatory counterparty for environmental compliance, natural capital valuation, and the issuance of permits governing resource extraction and land-use changes.Read more in the Glossary → (DENR), Ecological Society of the Philippines, Forest Foundation of the Philippines (FFP), Foundation of the Philippine Environment (FPE), Haribon Foundation, Indigenous PeoplesLocal Climate & EcologyIndigenous peoples & ancestral domainCommunities with continuous historical occupation of territories, recognized under the Indigenous Peoples' Rights Act (IPRA).Read more in the Glossary → Rights International (IPRI), Mindoro BiodiversityGlobal EssentialsBiodiversityThe variety of life at genetic, species, and ecosystem levels. Biodiversity loss is a material financial risk and a prerequisite for nature-positive investment frameworks.Read more in the Glossary → Conservation Foundation Inc. (MBCFI), Non-Timber Forest Products – Exchange Programme (NFTP-EP), and World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF Philippines).
“With our National Committee in place, the Philippines will now be formally represented in the Asia Regional Members’ Committee (ARMC). Through this mechanism, the voices of Philippine Members will actively shape regional priorities and contribute to IUCN’s global agenda,” Haribon Foundation said in the announcement post.
The organization added, “National Committees such as ours are more than structures of governance. They are platforms for collaboration – bringing together government, civil society, and Indigenous Peoples to amplify our collective influence, foster partnerships, and ensure that local and national realities inform global conservation efforts.”
