Alumni Update November 29 – December 5, 2021
The Silliman Alumni Association, Inc. (SAAI) Dumaguete Chapter awarded Leodegario ‘Gary’ Rosales and Rochelle Marie ‘Che’ Remollo as this year’s 2021 KINAIYAHAN AWARDEES in a simple ceremony held November 30, 2021 at the Sy Family Beach House in Bacong, Negros Oriental. It has always been a tradition of the Dumaguete Chapter to recognize individuals that have made a difference in environmental protection and conservation through the KINAIYAHAN AWARDS.
Silliman Alumni Association, Inc. Dumaguete Chapter’s 2021 Kinaiyahan Awardees, Leodegario ‘Gary’ Rosales and Rochelle Marie ‘Che’ Remollo.
Che Remollo
Che Remollo was recognized for her gifts of inspiration and leadership in environmental organizations, particularly the mountaineering interest group known as the Cuernos de Negros Mountaineers Club, Inc.
Rochelle Marie ‘Che’ Remollo (R) receives the Kinaiyahan stone plaque from Congresswoman Jocelyn Sy Limkaichong (L) during the awarding ceremony.
Her passion for environmental protection was planted in her heart at a very early age, largely inspired by a natural landmark in Mindanao: the majestic Maria Cristina Falls in Iligan City, which was just a 5-minute walk from the home where she grew up surrounded by nature. Where she lived was a healthy balance of raw nature and developed housing. She spent her childhood and her teen years in Ditucalan, which offered the needed introduction to environmental awareness: understanding the importance of nature, clean energy (hydroelectric power generation), and appreciation for plants, as her mother was a collector with a natural love for gardening.
In 1994, while on her second year of studies at Silliman University (SU), she joined Cuernos de Negros Mountaineers Club, Inc., a campus-based socio-civic organization that had her on endurance city runs, endurance hikes, and climbs to Mt. Talinis. She mastered the basics of mountaineering and principles of Leave No Trace, becoming more grounded and aware of the need to take care of the natural “playground.” She became active in the advocacy to help protect Mt. Talinis and the Balinsasayao Twin Lakes Natural Park from further encroachment and exploration. She was a loud voice in the call for approval of a government bill filed to protect the area of the natural park, which was her first taste of environmental activism.
She was a volunteer worker for the Tañon Strait Initiative of WWF-Philippines under Dr. Andrea Bautista-Barcelona. The work included doing surveys along Tañon Strait to monitor the presence of whales and dolphins, working with coastal folk and LGUs, and doing IECs with public schools. She also volunteered for Greenpeace Philippines in some of their campaigns.
Together with some friends, she helped organize Gugma, a nonprofit organization focused on engaging in environmental awareness initiatives through artivism and education in environmental camps and fora.
She joined former US Vice President Al Gore’s training movement for the Climate Reality Project in March 2016, moved and inspired by Gore’s environmental work and his documentary, “An Inconvenient Truth,” which convinced her of the urgency of the climate crisis. Her work continues, with the privilege to mentor new climate reality leaders virtually based on Global Climate Reality Training.
She is nonstop in her advocacy for environmental causes, taking it to the four walls of the classroom as she has been teaching the course Environmental Psychology at SU. She has shared her knowledge and experiences with students even as she constantly learns new things about how people may become environmental stewards.
Her journey continues as she always goes back to the younger version of herself who ends every letter she writes with “100% green” with a doodle of a tree; a sign of the path that she has been taking in the past, the present, and on towards the not-so-distant future.
Gary Rosales
Gary Rosales was recognized for his perpetual passion for caring for the environment and advocating sustainable development expressed by people in everyday living, from cultivating a vegetable garden to planting trees with family and friends.
SAAI Dumaguete Chapter Vice President and Negros Oriental 1st District Representative Jocelyn Sy Limkaichong presents the Kinaiyahan stone plaque to Leodegario ‘Gary’ Rosales.
He is a role model for community work with leadership in neighborhood clean-up and encouraging barangay dwellers to move away from mindless consumerism. His own home offers green lessons with his use of solar panels and rainwater catchment system and the surrounding yards have become learning spaces for solid waste management.
In August 2011 at his workplace starting, he embarked on projects with wider involvement of communities. With the encouragement of the BPI Foundation, he started Bayanihan Para sa Inang Bayan (BPI Bayan) Dumaguete, a volunteerism group composed of BPI employee-volunteers as well as partner-volunteers from the community.
He started the “Panag-ambit Para sa Malungtarong Ugma: The BPI Bayan project” with monthly clean-ups of Silliman Beach and eventually expanded to other activities like mangrove propagation and planting; reef domes construction, deployment, and monitoring; environmental and financial resiliency campaigns; tree planting in urban and agricultural spaces; and promoting zero waste systems in barangays and institutions. Currently, BPI Bayan projects are actively present in Banilad, Dumaguete; Banilad, Bacong; Apo Island, Dauin; Boloc-Boloc, Dauin; and Sta. Agueda, Pamplona.
In 2017, he co-founded Kahugpongan Para sa Kinabuhi ug Kinaiyahan, Inc., a group aiming to promote environmental justice and responsible development as well as to protect fragile ecosystems and watersheds and ensure public participation in decision-making processes affecting the environment. The group has, so far, organized several environmental for promoting better collaboration among environmental organizations in Negros Oriental. It has also engaged in dialogue with the Catholic Church clergy through the Social Action Center for concrete actions of the Laudato Si in parishes. The group actively participates in the ongoing discussion of the city’s reclamation project.
More on his gift of leadership, he holds the following positions in environmental groups: Overall Project Coordinator of the Bayanihan Para sa Inang Bayan; Dumaguete President of Kahugpongan Para sa Kinabuhi ug Kinaiyahan, Inc.; Treasurer of the dynamic institution known as Friends of the Environment in Negros Oriental; and Member of the Commission on Care for Creation of the Diocese of Dumaguete.
As his reach has widened, he still goes back to his earlier involvements at the barangay level: he is a major force in the Barangay Ecological Solid Waste Management Committees of barangays Bantayan and Banilad; he is the community representative to the People’s Development Council on Environment; and he goes on air as Program Host of Panaghoy sa Katilingban on a DYSR 95.1 FM. All these have created for him a position with much impact and influence, making him a bankable organizer in environmental undertakings requiring people mobilization and community cooperation.
Past KINAIYAHAN AWARDEES are: Dr. Nona Calo; Congresswoman Belma Cabilao; Rene “Tatay Eti” Vendiola; Dr. Angel C. Alcala; Cecilia Hofmann; Esther Windler; Benjamin A. Bokingo (posthumous); the “OCEAN 6” strong-willed women, Maru Rodriguez, Dr. Frances Yap, Sheila Omaguing, Florimae Barot-Datoy, and sisters Chesa and Monique Furbeyre; Dr. Ben S. Malayang III; and the SU Institute of Environment & Marine Sciences, the chapter’s first-ever institutional award recipient.
Gary Rosales (R) delivering his acceptance speech and acknowledging his family as part of his award.
Rochelle Marie Remollo (Right), delivers her acceptance speech with her colleagues, Dr. Nadia P. Abesamis (Center), Chairperson of the Silliman University (SU) Biology Department and Lou Anne F. Piñero (Left), of the SU Psychology Department, in full support of their colleagues’ recognition.
A group photo of the SAAI Dumaguete Chapter officers with the Kinaiyahan Awardees at the back row. (From left to right) Rosewell Cataylo, Dr. Hope Frances S. Yap, Jocelyn Somoza Dela Cruz, Atty. Rica Ruperto Teves, Atty. Pristine Martinez Raymond, Jocelyn Sy Limkaichong, Mae Magdamo, and Moses Joshua B. Atega.
The 2021 Kinaiyahan Awardees (back row), Gary Rosales and Che Remollo, with Silliman University Alumni and External Affairs Director Ruben N. Bokingo and Oscar and Linda Monera, who are Texas-based alumni who have relocated and are now active members of the Dumaguete alumni chapter.
Philippine National Scientist and Silliman University Trustee Dr. Angel C. Alcala (Right) expresses his concern on the environment, with Moses Joshua B. Atega, emcee of the alumni activity.
