Conrad Manila’s ‘Champions of Sustainability’

CONRAD Manila recognized six outstanding Filipinos as “Champions of Sustainability” for their commitment and meaningful contribution in driving the social, environmental and commercial welfare of various communities. The hybrid recognition was held in celebration of the coming Mid-Autumn Festival, themed “Prosperity,” as homage to the awardees’ accomplishments in line with the hotel’s Travel With Purpose advocacy.

Conrad Manila’s General Manager Linda Pecoraro, a woman leader with a passionate commitment to spotlight the Philippines’ on a global stage, shared, “As we welcome the Mid-Autumn Festival celebration, we would like to give tribute to six Champions of Sustainability. They all represent prosperity through inspiring others and contributing to various sustainable endeavors throughout the country.”

Pecoraro cited the following Champions of Sustainability with these individual tributes:

Mayor Lucy Torres-Gomez. She is the newly elected mayor of the City of Ormoc, Leyte, after serving as Congresswoman of Leyte Province for over a decade. Among her significant accomplishments as the chairperson of the House committee on tourism include filing House Bill No. 7229 seeking to integrate and establish pertinent policies and regulations to ensure sustainability in the tourism industry. Mayor Gomez is committed to pursue her advocacies as a local executive in sustainable tourism, infrastructure development, and energizing communities to be self-sustainable through livelihood programs.

Joanne Ramirez. She is an awardwinning journalist and editor of People Asia Magazine, Founder – People of the Year Awards, Men Who Matter Awards, Women of Style and Substance Awards – which continues to have an outstanding impact on industry leaders to steer sustainable economic growth in their respective fields. Having served at Malacañang as editor of the Presidential Press Staff during the administration of former President Corazon Aquino, Ramirez was a respected professional and zealous advocate. Her body of works as editor, columnist, and book author reflects a genuine passion for re-purposing, re-inventing, re-aligning lives for the betterment of sustainable communities.

Ana Patricia Non. By now, “Patreng” is a household name. A remarkable woman, Patreng is an entrepreneur whose operations were also challenged by the recent pandemic. She is the Founder of the Community Pantry; and a US Ambassador’s Woman of Courage Awardee. The “Maginhawa Community Pantry” initiative sparked a nationwide movement among Filipinos in 2021 to help one another amid hardships and quarantine restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic. From a bamboo cart along Maginhawa Street, she has inspired many Filipinos to open community pantries and share everything sustainable that can help the underprivileged.

Ann Dumaliang. Dumaliang is the Managing Trustee of the Masungi Georeserve; a conservationist and geo-tourism advocate working in the mountains of the Philippines. Masungi Georeserve Foundation focuses on using geo-tourism and the geo-park model as a bottoms-up guide to conservation, development, and aiding rural growth. Masungi, a 450-hectare land, was damaged and depleted because of quarrying and deforestation, Ann and sister Billie fought it out in protecting the land against illegal quarries and loggers. Today, Masungi has transformed into a model for privately driven conservation, sustainable reforestation, and geo tourism; while educating the community and benefiting the local economy.

Illac Diaz. Diaz is the Founder/ Executive Director of Liter of Light Foundation, a non-governmental organization that advocates for sustainable energy while providing their own lighting solutions to communities to combat energy poverty. Liter of Light started in Tacloban after the super typhoon Yolanda, expanded locally and towards international recognition that sprouted lighting projects in multiple communities around the world. To date, Liter of Light has helped over 382,000 Filipinos and 690,000 people throughout the world to get out of energy poverty. Liter of Light shows that a new business model is possible, where ecology goes hand in hand with economy.

Leeroy New. New is a multi-awarded sculptor, street artist, and a practitioner of what is called “applied sculpture” for the environment. He challenges us to think about the waste produced from everyday materials by constructing elaborate sculptures out of discarded plastics. New’s large-scale works are made by cutting, twisting, and tying together found objects like water jugs, film reels, tubes, and bottles into forms that evoke a sense of movement or migration. Reimagining a more positive and sustainable future for his community and the planet, New explores the culture, history, and mythology of his Philippines heritage to underscore the palpable impacts of the climate crisis.

At the recognition ceremony, Pecoraro, was joined by Conrad Manila’s executives Yogeswaran Veerasarmy, director of operations and Michael Albaña, commercial director.

The event’s highlight was the official unveiling of Conrad Manila’s innovative Mid-Autumn Prosperity handcrafted bags. It is the brainchild of the Conrad Manila team together with Filipina artisan Reese Fernandez Ruiz of Rags2Riches. Each “Lunar Prosperity”’ bag, which comes in two signature colors — Periwinkle Blue and Coral — is packed with Conrad Manila’s signature Mooncakes specially prepared by Executive Chef Eng Yew Khor of China Blue by Jereme Leung and his team.