- Gina Lopez, former environment secretary went to the ecotourism conference held at the Marian Auditorium in Miriam College.
- The ‘echo’ in the title of the conference stands for ecology, culture, heritage and opportunities involved in tourism.
Regina “Gina” Lopez is a Filipino environmentalist and philanthropist. She also initiated the first media-based hotline, the Bantay Bata 163. In 1997, Bantay Bata earned the United Nations Grand Awardee for Excellence besting 187 countries all over the world.
At the conference, Lopez talked about building the country from the bottom up. Lopez stated that it is not the money that makes a difference in any ecotourism projects she held. If the people don’t care, there will be no difference made in every project she had done.
“It’s the heart that makes the difference.”
Lopez also gave an advice to the students in the audience that the best way to learn tourism is to do it yourself and and encouraged them to implement projects yourself.
According to Lopez, the Philippines is also one of the countries with the highest number of endemic species. Lopez said, “God gave us so much, all we have to do is take care of it.”
Lopez showed a video of a heavily populated barangay in Tandang Sora, Quezon City. She said it was infested with crime, drugs and death. Lopez claimed that the reason why bad things happen to this specific area: “Kasi walang puso ‘dun. There’s no love!”
The said barangay will be Lopez’s new project. She aims to make it an eco-friendly barangay that could give opportunities for the people who live there. Lopez shared that these opportunities include jobs and sources of income for many. The project will also lessen the crimes that usually happen in the area.
Lopez also made the crowd “Sing for the Climate.” She stated that just like what the lyrics said, we need to build a better future and we should do it now.
“We need to wake up, we need to wise up
We need to open our eyes
And do it now now now
We need to build a better future, and we need to start right now
We’re on a planet
That has a problem
We’ve got to solve it, get involved, and do it now now now”
