Gina Lopez, a Filipino environmentalist, and philanthropist who served as the Chairperson of the Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission died Monday at age 65. She died due to multiple organ failure.
The former environmental secretary of the Philippines was fighting and tackling issues regarding the environment in the country for so many years. Her strength and ambition have inspired a lot of people around the world.
Regina 'Gina' Lopez
Gina Lopez was not only known as an environmental activist but also as a person who cared for the less fortunate people, she was the founder of the foundation Bantay Bata 163.
Before her passing Gina hosted segments for one of the biggest networking channels Abs- CBN one of them was called “G Diaries”, in which she was promoting sustainable tourism. The other segment was “Quest for Love” through her ILOVE foundation, whose mission is to help the underprivileged people in the country.
Childhood
Gina Lopez from a very young age was already a philanthropist who is known in the society because of her father, Eugenio "Geny" Lopez, Jr, who was the chairman of television network Abs-Cbn from 1997 to 1999 and her mother Conchita La'.
At the age of 18, Gina wanted to leave life behind and decided to pursue one of her passion as being an Ananda Marga yoga instructor. She did that for a couple of years in different countries Africa, India, and Portugal.
Bantay Bata 163
She was the founder of this foundation Bantay Bata 163, she decided to create this foundation for the children who are victims of domestic violence in the country. She worked with different organizations and focused on volunteers to help her with this foundation, by providing the shelter and support to help those children.
Environmental activist and projects
All throughout her career the people in the Philippines and internationally know Gina Lopez as being one of the best environmental activists in the country. She was the founder of the Abs-Cbn foundation ‘Bantay Kalikasan,’ in which she fought for the rehabilitation of 2,700 hectares of the ‘La Mesa Watershed’ which is a project that preserves major watershed in Metro Manila.
She also helped in developing the La Mesa Eco- Park which is located in Quezon City, Metro Manila.
In 2010 Gina Lopez was appointed the head of the Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission. She worked with other environmental agencies to help clean up the Pasig River, the success of this clean up allowed the Metropolitan Manila Authority Development (MMDA), to bring back the Pasig River ferry service.
Lopez managed to gather 10 million signatures to put a halt for small and large commercial mining in one of the islands of the Philippines which is Palawan.
She also served as an environmental chief for several months after she was appointed by Rodrigo Duterte the president of the Philippines in 2016.
However a year later she was rejected by the commission on appointments because of her controversial policies.
Seacology Award
In 2017, she won the Seacology Award by the US-based nonprofit organization for her environmental achievements for the country of the Philippines.
Gina Lopez has left a legacy in the Philippines, even though she passed away the works that she was done in the country for the environment will continue to live in forever. She inspired a lot of other environmental activists in the country, to take action and continue to make Philippines environment a better place.
