What inspired you to co-found Marine Conservation Philippines?
For years, it was a goal for me to work as a dive instructor and see the splendor of the seas in as many incredible destinations as I could. As I worked in more and more places and the years passed—and hundreds of scuba dives became thousands—I started seeing things differently.
I noted from year to year that things underwater were rapidly changing around me, and I felt deeply concerned. This sentiment is probably echoed by many people working in the diving industry.
When I arrived in the Philippines around 2010, I spent two years in the Visayas region and fell head over heels in love with the diving, the people, and the amazing culture of the Philippines.
It was at this time that I started considering forming what later became Marine Conservation Philippines. It was clear to me that there was a pronounced lack of capabilities on the national level to combat the threats facing coral reefs and mangroves.
Together with a group of fellow advocates and researchers, we formed the organization aiming to build capacity and aid decision-makers in making good management decisions—ensuring that future generations in the Philippines will also be able to marvel at dugongs, sharks, and sea turtles, feed their families off traditional coastal fisheries, and tell their children how important the seas are.
A usual day in the office.
What advice would you tell your pre-travel self?
I would tell myself that even if it appears we collectively are losing the war against climate change, the outcome of the individual battles still matters.
That I should not despair when things go awry, and to celebrate the victories we are part of—together with the communities that benefit from them.
Although our baselines may shift over decades, there's always something worth fighting for.
What makes your organization special?
Marine Conservation Philippines is a clear outlier in the field of dive-centric citizen science programs. The organization is incorporated as an actual non-profit, has clear goals and missions, and reports on actual achievements.
Many programs providing similar experiences are businesses with a whole different agenda.
A great day in the office.
Why should someone choose Marine Conservation Philippines over competitors?
The way I see it, we don’t really have any competitors per se. All marine conservation organizations are in the same fight, working against the clock to solve the same pressing problems for marginalized coastal communities.
That said, program participants obviously want to help in a place where their presence has an actual impact and where they contribute to something worthwhile.
Additionally, there’s the question of whether the internship or volunteering period matches personal aspirations—and perhaps career goals too. Many volunteers with Marine Conservation Philippines are enrolled in, or are considering enrolling in, marine studies, ecology, conservation science, or similar fields, and see their stay with the organization as a step in their career.
Others just love to scuba dive heaps and want to help contribute to something more meaningful than what they would do if they went as tourists.
What is your organization's mission and how do you continue to work toward it?
The world around us is changing, and marine ecosystems are in more peril than ever before. Realizing this urgency, we bring people with diverse backgrounds and skills together to build financial, social, and scientific capacity to respond to unprecedented threats to food security, societal stability, and ocean health.
We believe it is our collective responsibility to act and affect meaningful change. It is only through the choices we make, and how we influence others, that we can ensure the world we are building continues to include thriving and life-supporting marine ecosystems.
To realize this vision, we will tirelessly work to educate the public and influential decision-makers to recognize the immeasurable value of the marine ecosystem—vastly improving the societal and natural environment of the Philippines, now and in the future.
Teaching deep technical scuba diving to our program participants.
What do you hope participants take away from your programs?
Participating in our programs, I think people generally come away with an in-depth understanding of the processes and ecology of coral reefs and other marine ecosystems.
They find a new appreciation for the marvel that is our underwater world, and develop a conservation mindset and understanding of the threats of human impacts on these fragile ecosystems.
Additionally, I constantly see many gains on a more personal level. Participants find lifelong friends and form strong bonds with local people.
They embed themselves in a different culture, and through it, I think we all become a little more accepting of cultural differences and norms—and get to know ourselves better in the process.
Why is it important for people to travel abroad and experience new cultures?
By embedding yourself and living in different circumstances for a while, you walk the proverbial mile in someone else's shoes.
Through it, you understand the people around you, see their problems, see their lives, and take part in their celebrations and defeats. You come to an appreciation of the fact that life deals us all weird and uneven hands, and how you play it can dramatically affect the game state for everyone else.
Life isn't a zero-sum game. It's all too easy to get sucked into keeping up with the Joneses and completely miss what's actually important.
Traveling and helping others helps realign yourself and opens your eyes. Incidentally, it also makes you a much more interesting conversation partner!
Together with my love.
What does meaningful travel mean to you?
In my youth, I embraced a prolonged, fluid, go-where-the-wind-carries-me, lackadaisical trip style. It was perhaps the fashion of the day, but at the time it suited me.
Today, I'd get completely restless doing so—if I was just drifting for months at a time. While I admittedly do give in to spells of procrastination, mostly when I travel today, I prefer to do something meaningful.
To me, meaningful travel is to go with a sense of purpose—something that is greater than merely satisfying curiosity or getting the selfie. Something where I can contribute to or be part of something.
