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 & FrameworksDENRThe national agency responsible for the Philippine environment — forests, protected areas, mining permits, pollution rules. Parent of the EMB and the Biodiversity Management Bureau.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 DomainThe communities who have stewarded Philippine land and water longest, and the legal recognition of their territories under the Indigenous Peoples' Rights Act (RA 8371).Read more in the Glossary → Rights International (IPRI), Mindoro 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 → 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.”
