You’re a scientist by training. When did it all begin?
I was really into Biology when I was studying at Philippine Science High School, but I changed track in college (UP Diliman) and finished Industrial Engineering. Back then my mentality was different – I wanted to make a lot of money.
What was your career path after college?
After graduation I worked for an oil company for four years. I thought my career path was clear: I was a field manager, from there I’d eventually become a district manager, and then a general manager. I was ambitious then.
The thing is, in the corporate world, if you’re good, that’s fine. If you know how to handle people, to play the game, that’s even better. So I was a political animal. I got along with everybody. I was your proverbial nice guy.
When did you start to feel the itch?
I grew with that company, I was earning, but I wasn’t happy. There was a sense of dissatisfaction with my life.
I was stressed out, burnt out. I would wake up at 5 a.m. just to get to Makati before rush hour. When I’d get to the office there would be tons of work waiting for me. I felt like I was a robot and the only reason I was doing my job was out of loyalty to my boss, who was a really nice guy.
I was going out every night, smoking and drinking. At 26, 27 I already had high blood pressure. I gained 30 pounds.
I then decided to take a leave. I told my boss I wanted to "find myself." So I volunteered for WWF. For the longest time I was wondering whether my calling in life was to help the environment. At that time WWF was the most renowned organization, so I wanted to see if I would fit in.
What was that leave like?
I took a two-month long vacation. I went to the Babuyan Islands to observe and record the presence of humpback whales. It was so much fun.
It was my first time to see an animal that is huge. We were really up close and personal with the whale. There was this person who said that looking into the eye of the humpback whale was like looking into the eye of God. They are very intelligent animals, so they’re just as curious to see you as you are to see them. Sometimes you don’t know who’s observing who.
But more than just the wildlife, I witnessed the simple living of the people there. No electricity. That really struck me. They seemed naturally happy. Sometimes you have to remove yourself from all those things – the ambition, the money – and ask yourself what you really want to do with your life. It was the basic, simple living in Babuyan that made me realize that.
Aside from collecting pictures and data we were also into community work. We had what we called Information Education Campaigns. We’d gather kids, older people, and tell them about dolphins, whales and other stories about conserving our resources, protecting nature. That was the part that I really enjoyed.
Within a week I decided that I wanted to resign. I knew there was an opening at WWF, as Information and Communication Officer for the dugong project in Palawan.
Did you receive a lot of flak for that decision?
A lot of people thought I was crazy – moving to Palawan, taking a huge pay cut, letting go of all the benefits that come with working for an oil company.
That was in March 2001. My last working day at that oil company was on a Friday... the next Monday, it was my first day to report for work at WWF.
How difficult was the transition from corporate to non-profit work?
It was strange at first. I got used to having a secretary, and then all of a sudden I had to do things on my own. Like, I didn’t even know how to use the Yellow Pages, so I had to call up my old secretary to do it for me!
I’ve come to accept the fact that I’m getting older and it’s not as easy to learn new things and start all over again. But I have to. I’m just taking stock of what I have and try to use that.
To me, my strategy is simple: Just be a nice guy. I believe that a little kindness goes a long way.
On a personal level, how drastic has your lifestyle change been?
I stopped smoking, I became a vegetarian, I started to exercise again. My mind is clearer. Now I can’t stay in Manila for long anymore, I’m always looking forward to going back to Palawan. It’s just never-ending beauty, lots and lots of beautiful islands.
What are the highs and lows of working for the environment?
Highs come from communicating well with people, and getting the job done because of the collaborative effort. Lows come from the frustration of not having been able to communicate well, because that’s when the job doesn’t get done.
See, environmental issues are people issues. Those two things you cannot separate.