Joyful celebrations
Joy Mendoza Rojas is a man of many hats. A cum laude from the University of Massachusetts, this legal beagle is also known as a first-rate art connoisseur and collector with a fine eye.
Joining government, he has served two presidents in the past (the Philippine Racing Commission during President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's term and PCSO under President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III) without any tarnish.
During his recent birthday celebration at the Makati Shangri-La Hotel, Joy, together with his charming wife Trisha Bunye, made sure to include his wide circle of family and friends: his La Salle Greenhills classmates, Ateneo law school pals, as well as those encompassing the many phases of his life.
Going green for Samar
We all know that going green is the best way to save our planet and that is exactly what Samar BioSPV (a partnership between French company aDryada and Philippine company Samar Bamboo Corporation) is doing to implement the Green Samar Project to restore 90,000 hectares of degraded forest in the North-West part of the Samar Island Natural Park. Not only will it undertake reforestation and restore biodiversity, but there will also be more jobs and livelihood for the communities, including a facility to transform bamboo into useful commodities.
“This project is based on the three pillars that aDryada considers equally important to achieve a high level of quality: climate, biodiversity, and improving the living conditions of local populations,” said Fabio Ferrari, CEO of aDryada. “It draws on the strong experience of our partner and the excellent work carried out by the authorities, both at local and national levels.”
As part of the Enhanced National Greening Program (ENGP), the government plans to reforest at least one million hectares of land in the country before 2028.
The Philippines is also finalizing a carbon credit framework that aims to facilitate the achievement of national climate-transition goals and attract foreign investors.
“As a Philippine citizen originating from Samar, I am delighted to participate in the Green Samar Project, which will have a transformational impact on the province and its local communities,” said Samar Bamboo Corporation's Ruben Picardo. “I am confident that our partnership with aDryada will be powerful enough to achieve our ambitious goals.”
French Ambassador Marie Fontanel added, "This project exhibits that one should never have to choose between the environment and economic and social development."
The Green Samar Project was formulated through a collaboration initiated by Audax Global, an international group headed by Jeremy Knight and represented in the Philippines by Allana Montelibano.
