Members of Tanggol Kalikasan gathered in a hybrid set-up for their 36th General Assembly held at Fresh Air Hotel, Lucena City and via zoom on 29 April 2023. Officially opening the ceremony, Mr. Nolasco Ritz Lee Santos III, incumbent President of TK, welcomed the members to its annual General Assembly and called the meeting to order. He also introduced the Board of Trustees (BoT) members and presented the resolution of BoT meetings from 2022-2023. Meanwhile, Atty. Fritzielyn Palmiera presented that there were at least 54 members in good standing who attended the meeting and certified the existence of quorum.
Atty. Ma. Ronely Bisquerra-Sheen presented the organization’s initiatives and accomplishments for the past year namely: Natural Resource Management Capacity Building, Constituency Building and Institutional Development, Policy Reform and Advocacy, Public Environmental Legal Education and Media Education, and Direct Legal Services. Under above mentioned programs are its current and accomplished projects and activities such as Environmental Justice Sector Reform in the Philippines 2 (EJSRP Phase 2), Coal Campaign, We Defend, Tayabas Bay, and Mandanas-Garcia Ruling. The organization also conducted its project and activities through the support and cooperation of its partners such as Institute of Environmental Governance (IEG), Mabuwaya Foundation, Forum Asia, DILG Multi-Sectoral Advisory Council (MSAC), and Fisheries Compliance Audit (FISHCA). Atty. Bisquerra-Sheen also presented the organization’s radio program, Kasama ng Kalikasan (KNK) that currently produced 46 episodes and 36 segments of Sagip Kalikasan.
TK’s financial report was delivered by Ms. Lorna Capuyon. She shared the assets and liabilities and fund balances of the organization from the past year and the current operational fund balance that will be used at the beginning of the year 2023.
The election was also held which declared Atty. Mila “Miles” Raquid-Arroyo as the new lawyer of the organization and Mr. Nolasco Ritz Lee Santos III as the new sectoral representative. Plaques of appreciation were given to Mr. Santos III and Ms. Ria Aranza for being a board of trustee members from 2017 to 2022, and newly elected lawyer, Atty. Raquid-Arroyo and Ka-Ramon Grimaldo as a board of trustee members from 2017 to 2021.
