PRRCFI Board of Trustees

GERARDO LEDESMA | GERRY

President

Gerry is the founder of PRRCFI. He has been documenting environmental degradation in Negros Island for the last 40 years, which drove him to a life devoted to conservation work. He is also the founder of Negros Forest and Ecological Foundation, Inc. which focused on reforestation work and the conservation breeding of threatened endemic animals. He is an organic farmer, photographer and SCUBA instructor with the passion to inspire people towards conservation. He was awarded the Negros Occidental Governor’s Conservation Achievement Award (NOGCAA) in 2021.

RAFAEL LIZARES | JUNY

Vice President

Juny is one of the co-founders of PRRCFI. He is the businessman amongst the trustees and chairs numerous corporations notable of which are the First Farmers Holding Corporation and the Dos Hermanas MultiPurpose Cooperative in Negros Island. His advice on the sustainability moves of PRRCFI is invaluable to its conservation program.

EDGARDO UYCHIAT | BOYET

Treasurer

Boyet is one of the co-founders of PRRCFI. He is an organic farming advocate in Negros Island. He is the President of the Negros Island Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development Foundation, Inc. (NISARD) and Vice President of IFOAM Asia. He is also the President of FamilyFarms Inc., a social enterprise in Negros Occidental serving almost 300 small family farmers planting 400 hectares of certified organic rice and operating a third-party certified rice mill in Bago City.

MICAELA TREBOL | KAILA

Secretary

Kaila is a biologist, artist and mother. Her main advocacy is creating connections between people and nature through art, environment interpretation and experiential programs, especially for the youth. She was part of the first marine camp on Danjugan in 1991 and now, part of the team that ensures its continuity. Kaila is responsible for creating the interpretation materials for PRRCFI’s educational activities.

TERENCE DACLES

Trustee Adviser for Sustainability

Terence is one of the founding Trustees of PRRCFI and he joined the very first Coral Cay Conservation expedition in 1996 under the Southern Negros Coastal Development Program as the foundation’s project scientist. He handled several scientific and technical projects for the Foundation (e.g. British funds, UNEP, UK Lottery grant, DOST, etc.). He is a marine biologist by profession and has supported the several marine conservation camps on Danjugan Island.

JOSEFA CARANDANG | SEF

Trustee Adviser for Gender and Community Development

Sef has 20 years experience in development work in the Philippines, collaborating and working with rural communities, both in upland and coastal areas, to create sustainable livelihood, protect the environment, and empower women and the youth. She works as a Gender and Stakeholder Engagement Consultant with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in the Philippines to design biodiversity and sustainable land management projects to conserve critical marine and terrestrial ecosystems, the wildlife that inhabit them, and the communities that depend on them.

RHODA PHILLIPS

Trustee Adviser for Organisational Development

Rhoda is Chair and Founder of the UK based charity Communities for Nature. Her experience in the public, private and third sectors spans over 20 years, including a 21-year relationship with the Philippine Reef and Rainforest Conservation Foundation Inc. (PRRCFI), which began when she became Danjugan Island’s manager and education officer in 2001 and now sees her sitting on the Foundation’s board as a Trustee. She combines her work with Communities for Nature and PRRFCI with her role as CEO of LDN, a business transformation and people development management consulting firm.

JOSINE ALEXANDRA GAMBOA | ALEX

Trustee Adviser for Legal Affairs

Alex is a marine and wildlife camp alumni and the experience has inspired her to become an environmental and energy lawyer and public policy specialist. She is also a law professor at the Tanada Diokno School of Law in DLSU. She is currently a lawyer in the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC), serving as the Executive Assistant of the Chairperson and CEO.

RENE ABESAMIS

Trustee Adviser for Science & Research

Rene (BS Biology, UP Diliman; MS and PhD Marine Biology, James Cook University) is an Associate Professor at UP Marine Science Institute. He was recognized as an Outstanding Young Scientist by the National Academy of Science and Technology (2013) and a recipient of the Australian Global Alumni Excellence Award (2019). His scientific, teaching and extension work combines marine ecology and conservation, with a strong focus on marine protected areas.