PHOTO: As per its hashtag #TogetherPossible, WWF-Philippines believes that conservation work is best done in partnership with all Filipinos, from all walks of life. Photograph © WWF-Philippines / Ana Chavez
As part of the World Wide Fund for Nature’s (WWF) 60th anniversary celebrations, WWF-Philippines has launched the Together We Can campaign in commemoration of six decades of conservation work.
The Together We Can campaign looks back on the conservation milestones the WWF Network has achieved since it was first established. WWF made the first ever public appeal for conservation in 1961. In 1997 WWF, together with Unilever, helped launch the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) label (1), which was the first publicly-promoted ecolabel in history. The Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) was able to pass a global ban on ivory trade after much lobbying from the WWF Network. The WWF Coral Triangle monitors and manages six million square kilometers of the Pacific in one of the biggest marine conservation endeavors in history, while the Network helped establish the 9.5 million acre Tumucumaque Mountains National Park in the Amazon (2).
WWF-Philippines, meanwhile, has helped protect approximately 2.5 million hectares of marine protected area since 1997. The local office has also supported the livelihoods and climate resiliency of thousands of fishers and farmers, and has worked on projects and pushed for policies aimed at addressing issues from water security to deforestation to plastic pollution.
Despite these achievements, however, WWF recognizes the many pressing and emergent environmental issues still plaguing natural ecosystems, and the risks they pose to human populations. The Together We Can campaign serves also as a reminder of the continuing need to safeguard the environment, for the sake of both people and planet.
“During this 60th anniversary of WWF we especially thank and give credit to all who have worked in partnership with us, and who have contributed in various ways to our mission of building a world in which people live in harmony with nature. There is still much left for us to confront – but these past wins are proof that we can unite to ensure a better future for all,” said WWF-Philippines Executive Director Katherine Custodio.
WWF was founded in London in 1961, with the goal of protecting endangered species across the planet. Known originally as the World Wildlife Fund, the conservation organization recently changed its name to the World Wide Fund for Nature. This was in recognition of their growing scope of work, as the Network set out on a wide range of projects that focused on the protection of both people and planet.
Local offices have since been established in over 100 countries and territories across the globe. The country’s national office, WWF-Philippines, was first founded in 1997, with projects including the conservation of endangered sea turtles in the Sulu Sea and the protection of whale sharks in the Ticao-Burias Pass Protected Seascape.
The WWF Network has worked toward many wins for the environment over the past sixty years. While there is reason to celebrate what has been achieved, there is still much work to be done to build a sustainable future for both people and planet. Support WWF-Philippines, and work toward a future where humans and nature thrive.
Follow WWF-Philippines on social media for more from the Together We Can campaign, and for further events commemorating the 60th anniversary of the WWF Network.
