Rod on Conservation & Biodiversity

How do you see the future of conservation movement in the Philippines?
Positively. We have to give credit to numerous initiatives in the country that have become paragons for biodiversity conservation management. We have a lot of experience in biodiversity management involving communities, indigenous people, the privates sector, local governments, universities, and non-governmental institutions. One clear example of such notable effort is the crocodile conservation programme of Vrod Andy Masipiquena (Skylove ’73) at Isabela State University. These experiences have been documented, reported and presented in global forums and international discussions. Just visit a website of an international NGO such as World Wildlife fund (WWF), Conservation International, Birdlife etc., and you will find numerous case studies of praiseworthy Philippine biodiversity conservation experiences. Even several technical and economic reports of the World Bank, ADB and UNDP have highlighted notable conservation practices and experiences in the country. These pioneering efforts need to be supported and scaled up. Overall, I am upbeat about the conservation movement in the Philippines.

Can you tell us a little bit about your family?
I would just say that I live a very private life. I have been blessed to be endeared to five wellsprings of life who are all now grown up and mature, each trying to define their own respective spaces and pursuing their own paths. I have two second-generation dolls that I adore and pamper dearly (in short lolo na ako). And to cap it all, I have been gifted with a wonderful partner, friend, lover and a loyal critic whose ideas about life may sometimes be unconventional but in the long run they make sense.

How did you come to know about the UP Varrons and what made you decide to join the organization?

Rod Fuentes with wife and fellow Varrons Orson Sta Cruz (Repertory '76) and Belle Villela-Chua (Crystal '77) during the 45th Anniversary celebration in August 2007.

For me, not knowing the UP Varrons Ltd. during that time is a travesty to the College of Forestry. But kidding aside, I was introduced to the organization during my freshman but came to know more about it during my second year. Vrod Bien Dolom (Salsa ’75) was the one person who showed and introduced me to what the organization was. Since he was my batch mate, classmate and close friend I have complete trust in him. When he signed in with the organization, he told me about it and asked me to join him. I said no initially for I was weighing my options whether to join an organization at that time. During the second year, Bien was already with the Varrons and he started to introduce me his Vrods and Sis. That was when I started to understand more who they were, what they stood for and why they are with the UP Varrons. A thing that struck me was the shared ideals the members had in what they do and what they say. They were sincere and down to earth. They were intellectually deep but were not snobs and arrogant. They were friendly and warm but were firm and fierce in their positions on subject matters they believe in. They were fun but they were also dead serious of the work that they do. Since I was staying at the FOREHA dorm and most of the time I go to Bien’s room, I can see them debate to their hearts out but at the same time I also see that they give due respect to each other specially on the beliefs and values of each individuals. They can talk about anything: from sports to academics, politics to religion, from the most mundane to the most insane topics one could think of. They carried no ranks: everybody is equal. That to me was the most significant aspect of the organization that influenced me to join the UP. Varrons Ltd. And looking back, joining the Varrons was one of my most refreshing and fascinating decisions of my life.

Last Updated on October 12, 2016 by Tudla_Admin