MANILA, Philippines–While his move to turn pro-environment seems sudden, boxing champion Manny Pacquiao has found allies in some green groups who see him as a serious, effective “ambassador for conservation.”
“He’s globally known. He will become a good ambassador for conservation because people will listen to him,” Haribon executive director Anabelle Plantilla said on Sunday. “We welcome Manny in helping us raise the importance of conservation.”
“We need more environmentalists. Any addition is welcome,” Greenpeace toxics campaigner Beau Baconguis said.
Owing to his stardom in the boxing world, Pacquiao could easily coax, if not inspire, people to support his new advocacy and do their bit in protecting the environment, Plantilla said.
“If he exhorts the public to restore the forest, and to stop hunting the [Philippine] eagle, I think a lot of people will heed him,” she said in a phone interview.
After he flew in last Thursday from the US, where he scored a second conquest of Mexican Marco Antonio Barrera, Pacquiao said he would focus on protecting the endangered Philippine Eagle, and even adopt it as his trademark.
Environment Secretary Lito Atienza said the boxing icon donated an initial P100,000 to the Philippine Eagle Foundation for the conservation of the national bird.
Plantilla, however, advised Pacquiao to focus on protecting the eagle’s habitat — the dwindling forest cover brought about by illegal logging and other destructive activities, and the coastal ecosystem — to ensure its survival.
“It’s more important that we protect the habitat of this globally threatened species. If the logging continues, it will become extinct and disappear. There goes the most beautiful eagle in the world,” she said.
Pacquiao indicated that he would join Atienza in his campaign to raise awareness about the threatened eagle, and to protect its habitat by driving out illegal loggers and reforesting denuded forests.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources has a joint project with the Green Army to plant 20 million trees across the country between July and November 2007.
The country’s forest cover is now down to less than 10 million hectares from 21 million hectares in 1900.
“Of course, why not?” Plantilla said when asked if Haribon would be willing to invite Pacquiao to any of its conservation events. “If he’s interested and has the environment in his heart, why not? He will be a big help, and he can help raise awareness on the need to restore the forests in Mindanao,” she said.’
Haribon has a stable of conservation ambassadors, including showbiz personalities Piolo Pascual, Jolina Magdangal and DJ Forbes, musicians John Lesaca and Medwin Marfil, journalists Karen Davila, Arnold Clavio and Rhea Santos, among others, according to Plantilla.
“We want to build a constituency for conservation, and it’s important to have celebrities to mouth issues,” she said. “But it’s important that they understand the issue.”
The conservation group has launched a project to restore 1 million hectares of rainforest by 2020.
