Protecting the environment & lands of Sarangani

On October 20, 2023, my beloved mother Dr. Agnes Quinto Sinocruz passed away after a long battle with cancer.

For the past several years until her death, Mom served as the Chairman of the Board of the Kiamba Sarangani Development, Foundation, Inc. (KSDFI), a nonprofit organization incorporated in 2014, with a vision of a beautiful world where man lives in harmony with nature and a mission to mobilize empowered communities to nurture ecological balance and natural harmony.

My mom and her fellow founding members founded the organization because they were inspired by their personal experience having lived in the small town of Kiamba, Sarangani, Philippines, nestled along the Celebes Sea. Towering above this beautiful land is Mt. Busa, known to the indigenous people as Bulul Busaw, a sacred, enchanted mountain, which has come under threat due to mining, deforestation, and privatization.

KSDFI embarks on sustainable development initiatives to ensure food and water security with a focus on "HEALS": Health, Environment, Education, Arts and Culture, Livelihood and Safety.

Among KSDFI's erstwhile accomplishments/programs since its founding are as follows:

1. Establishment of Community Gardens/Food Forests and Turtle Sanctuaries

2. Preservation of the rich Tboli Mohin cultural heritage

3. Environment, education, and tourism initiatives

4. Network and linkage development for medical missions, livelihood, scholarship and support to schools and learning centers

KSDFI has received recognition from the International Council for Environmental Law, the Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development, the Asia-Pacific Center for Environmental Law, and the Normandy Chair for Peace for its legislative, education, and advocacy efforts, which have worked to preserve Mt. Busa and educate the community at large. KSDFI dreams to produce a documentary film to inspire communities to action: a testament that despite daunting challenges, the impossible can be achieved and the environment can be protected through peaceful dialogue.

In honor of Mom's legacy and work, we ask for your support for KSDFI, to continue and finish the dream she started.

Daghang Salamat

Thanks to KSDFI Secretary Carol Villanueva Peralta for assisting with this summary of KSDFI's great work.