Over 80 storytellers, journalists, and environmental advocates gathered on Saturday, April 25 at The Astbury in Poblacion for Earth Happy Hours, a mixer organized by women-led media and strategy non-profit Sustina in honor of Earth Month. Co-hosted with GainForest, Waves for Water, Masungi Georeserve, ABS-CBN Foundation, and YACAP, the event was designed to be an intimate gathering where participants could engage directly with experts about pressing social and environmental issues.
In her opening message, Sustina Co-Founder and Executive Director Anna Reyes expressed her sincere gratitude to everyone who attended and emphasized the power of stories to connect people. “We wanted this to be a space where conversations can flourish — where a journalist covering the environment can sit across from a community organizer or a scientist, and something unexpected happens. That’s where the best stories begin,” she said.
The event drew inspiration from the animated series Captain Planet and the Planeteers, with each co-hosting organization representing one of the show’s five elements. Instead of a panel discussion, five “planeteer” stations were set up inside the venue—each staffed by one representative from the co-hosting organizations to pitch their story directly to participants.
Earth: Masungi Georeserve – Advocacy Officer Alexandra Bacani talked about how the national push for clean energy is impacting reforestation efforts in Masungi Georeserve, highlighting that finding climate solutions should not come at the expense of land conservation.
Water: Waves for Water – Communications Officer Renz Perez demonstrated how Waves for Water brings potable water to far-flung communities in the Philippines through their patented water filtration system.
Wind: GainForest – Head of Operations Niña Cerilla spoke about the data gap in biodiversity monitoring in the Philippines.
Heart: ABS-CBN Foundation – Program Head Sar Alcayde-Agcaoili shared the story of communities in Lobo, Batangas that live along the Verde Island Passage—the center of the world’s marine shorefish biodiversity.
Fire: YACAP – Spokesperson Eiren Gee Buenviaje recounted the continued militarization and harassment of farmers in Lupang Ramos, Dasmañas, Cavite, amid a legal battle for their land rights.
Participants spent ten minutes per station to listen and ask questions before rotating to the next one. Three rounds were completed before the floor opened for food, drinks, and music, segueing into casual networking.
Nina Unlay, Sustina’s Co-Founder and Editorial Director, said, “Environmentalists are some of the bravest people in the world. They also take on some of the hardest battles. One of the reasons we built Sustina is so that these advocates don’t have to feel like they’re doing the work alone. Earth Week Happy Hours is the first of many spaces we want to create together.”
