Meet Our Team: Wilson John Barbon
Wilson John Barbon is the country Executive Director of our Philippines country program. He joined Conservation International a year ago, in October 2022.
Share a little bit about yourself:
At university, I volunteered to develop outreach programs for rural farmers in Monkayo Compostela Valley in Mindanao Their farmlands were impacted by water pollution from illegal mining in the uplands of Mt. Diwata. The pollution from mining by-products had contaminated the Naboc and Agusan rivers, and the irrigation system is essential for lowland rice farmers.
This was my first foray into the complexities of conservation work in the Philippines, which is the intersection of political power, unbridled economic growth, unregulated resource usage and rural poverty. I worked with local people to organize the smallholder farmers downstream of Mt. Diwata, prepare petition papers addressed to political leaders, and identify alternative livelihood options as rice production is no longer feasible. Some farmers shifted to rubber farming, stopped farming, and moved elsewhere. The issues around Mt. Diwata still exist today.
Since then, I have focused my career in conservation with solid community development dimensions. I am passionate about finding solutions to environmental problems that also address development issues confronting local communities. I have worked with farmers, fishers and rural women in central and southern Philippines and Myanmarm, building their capacities to become stewards of nature while finding solutions for sustainable development. I had the opportunity to be engaged in critical conversations on urban-rural interactions, sustainable development and climate change at the Salzburg Global Seminar in Austria.
What is your most significant success at CI, and why?
I have been with CI for just a year, and in this time, I have been working to revamp the Philippines country program's strategy to maximize our programmatic impact on nature and the communities we work with. Implementing change, while necessary to improve, can create anxiety among our team members. I feel my most significant success is seeing the Philippines program through this transformation by establishing a culture of impact and encouraging team members to stay focused on our mission to protect nature for the benefit of people.
What do you love most about what you do?
I love the opportunity to work with and engage in discussions related to the science of conservation and habitat management as they happen on the ground, close to the communities. I have been a leader for many years, but what is close to my heart is getting my boots on the ground and being in the field. I enjoy exploring innovative approaches to develop programs that drive conservation and sustainable community development.
There is a lot of interest in protecting the ocean and the 30x30 initiative. What is the Philippines as a country program doing to achieve this?
The ocean and fisheries are essential aspects of the Philippines' country program. We've adopted a two-pronged approach to achieve impact at scale.
First, we look at which areas would see the most significant impact, and we've identified Palawan, including the Tubbataha Reefs and the Verde Island Passage. Together with our global partners, we are exploring initiatives in the Philippines Rise (formerly Benham Rise), a massive underwater plateau in the northeast Philippines. Our team provides technical support to local government agencies, ensuring the conservation of critical marine biodiversity areas.
Secondly, we are actively collaborating with the government on its ambitious 30x30 goal to establish and manage protected areas in the country and implement policies to unlock financing for conservation efforts and safeguard the livelihoods of Indigenous peoples and local communities.
CI Philippines sits and leads the Science Advisory Group for the Fisheries Management Areas that has jurisdiction over the Verde Island Passage (FMA 12) and the Philippine Rise (FMA 1).
Do you have any advice for someone who wants to take up a role in conservation?
In today's tech-driven world, it's easy to overlook the beauty and significance of nature. My advice for anyone interested in conservation is to unplug and immerse oneself in the natural world, whether it's the ocean, the forests or any other habitat. This direct interaction with nature is vital to understanding and loving it, and only when you truly love something can you become its advocate and inspire others to connect with the natural world and transform society. To thrive in this field, one must genuinely embrace the essence of why we do what we do.
Could you share a fun fact about you?
I used to be an ultrarunner both on the road and on trails, running 50-mile, 100-mile races. Now, I enjoy cycling and still lace up my running shoes for shorter distances.