November 11, 2024 | 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) has given a former member of the House of Representatives the distinction of being a “Champion of Change,” along with other global leaders, for championing biodiversity conservation in the Philippines.
The name of Josephine Ramirez-Sato, former congresswoman of Occidental Mindoro, appeared in the UNDP Biodiversity Finance (BIOFIN)’s “Workbook 2024: Finance for Nature,” which was released last month.
“As a BIOFIN Champion, (former) congresswoman Sato continues to support tamaraw conservation within congressional fora, as well as site-level work in the province of Occidental Mindoro through the Together for Tamaraws crowdfunding campaign,” the citation for the former lawmaker stated.
Sato is the only Asian leader accorded the distinct title by the UNDP. Three other global leaders have also prominently figured in the campaign for biodiversity finance.
BIOFIN is an initiative working with governments and the private sector to narrow the financing gap for biodiversity conservation by promoting investments in biodiversity to protect nature, create jobs, reduce pandemics and combat climate change.
The UNDP BIOFIN “Champions of Change” distinction recognizes individuals who play a catalytic role in policy processes and act as true agents of change.
Among the criteria for selecting “Champions of Change” recipients is for the candidate to be involved in the BIOFIN process from an early stage.
BIOFIN in the Philippines started in 2014, or during the time of the late president Benigno Aquino III.
Sato’s co-recipients in the UNDP roll were Doris Rios, vice president of the National Indigenous Board of Costa Rica; Sergio Graf Montero, former minister of environment in the state of Jalisco in Mexico; and Mutumboi Mundia, a pivotal figure in Zambia’s biodiversity finance landscape and capital market development.
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