An Encounter with an Eco-warrior and Earth Healer by Art Tibaldo We have been hearing a lot of politics and talks about climate change, global warming and earth restoration. We are flooded with gazillions of discussions on how to save the worsening state of mother earth. Many are already sick and tired if not resigned to listening to these subjects as it is just a repetitious topic playing like a worn-out vinyl record. To some, these natural and man-made occurrences have become a scholarly subject discussed in much hyped conferences if only to build one’s academic distinction. Others simply do not mind any of these at all. Very few individuals have distanced from personal glorification and opted to walk-their-talk as an earth saver. While many honoris causa degree holders are resting on their laurels with voluminous publications to their credit, this exemplary friend of mine does not only fulfills his personal advocacy with selfless passion, he is also determined to save the earth in whatever way he can….meet Dr. Michael A. Bengwayan. Michael writes for the Panos News and Features and formerly with the Gemini News Service in London, UK; Brunei Times, Onislam, formerly with DEPTHNews of the Press Foundation of Asia and with now with Earth Times and Environmental News Service. He holds a journalism diploma from Kalmar University, Sweden as Fellow of the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA). He is also the Director of the Cordillera Ecological Center (PINE TREE) based La Trinidad, Benguet, Philippines that is presently developing local solutions for global environmental problems. Its goal is to promote conservation and environmental justice for the environment and the rural poor. As a non-profit group operated by environmental volunteers, PINE TREE develops and implements sustainable conservation practices and livelihood opportunities through education, research, trainings and information dissemination. Bengwayan’ s non government organization strongly promotes and supports community based seedbanking and anti-biopiracy activities. PINE TREE also trains science journalists & environmental volunteers while promoting organic home-gardening, Arabica coffee farming, reforestation with Nitrogen-fixing multi-purpose trees & establishments of man-made forests. With a project called Afforestation, Bengwayan’s group seeks to establish new forests by seeding or planting on non-forested areas.
A European Union Fellow and product of many international schools such as; Rutgers University, University of Leuven, Kalmar University, and University College Dublin among others, Bengwayan earned various scholastic distinctions in Non-Profit Organizational Development · Social Entrepreneurship, Environmental Science · Conservation and Sustainable Development and Journalism · Science Investigative Reporting among others. He also holds a masters degree in Rural Development Studies with a Bachelors Degree in Agriculture.
With his over 20 years experience in journalism as contributor to several national and national dailies including wire bureaus, Michael A. Bengwayan had working stints in India, Taiwan, Indonesia, Ireland, Tanzania as agriculturist, environmental officer and writer. In his blog at http://michaelbengwayan.wordpress.com, Bengwayan simply introduced himself as having studied in Baguio, Manila, La Trinidad, Belgium, Sweden, Ireland and the United States and a communitarian environmental worker, journalist, writer and educator.
There is much to be highlighted in Dr. Bengwayan’s professional career from a Training Specialist in the De
partment of Agriculture’s Agricultural Training Institute of the Cordillera Region to a world class farmer-writer an able resource person on bio-diversity, global warming and climate change. Having a female dominated family with wife Grace who just finished her doctoral degree in Rural Development on Migration Studies, eldest Abigail (UP Baguio), the secretary general of the Cordillera Peoples’ Alliance, Grail, a teacher at Saint Vincent, Baguio City, Phyllis, who graduated with honors equivalent to magna cum laude in medicine, Michael Jr., an Information Technology graduate with distinction and Frances who will be taking up BS Biology. Much to learn about bio-diversity The more or less 20 minute drive from the heart of Baguio and few kilometers away from the famous arts and culture haven Tamawan Village, one can reach Michael Bengwayan’s residence and farm in Barangay Puguis La Trinidad Benguet through a diversion road more known as Long-long. The short morning visit gave me and my volunteer assistant Menandro Ulanday a rare experience as we witnessed a petroleum nut that emits a flammable substance capable of putting a stack of wood aflame when ignited. Among the interesting projects and advocacies being undertaken by Bengwayan’s organization is the development of Community-Based Seed banking, Anti-Bio-piracy Campaign and Petroleum Nut as Sustainable Bio-fuel and alternative to fossil fuels. Bengwayan’s organization, PINE TREE was awarded a $75,000 prize from Toyota’s Environmental Activities Grant Program to help provide energy to farms and households in the upland Cordillera Region of the Philippines. According to him, what took millions of years to make, this petroleum tree does in five years. According to Bengwayan, the petroleum nut or Pittosporum resineferum is an indigenous uncultivated tree that grows wild in some areas of the province of Benguet and Mountain Province in the Cordillera region. The Petroleum tree is endemic in the northern Philippines and it is the country’s most promising bio-fuel treasure and perhaps the best in the world. The Benguet based environmentalist said that the extract from the petroleum nut has an octane rating of 54 which is higher than the 41 of Jatropha curcas which means it can replace the use of liquefied petroleum gas for cooking, can be used for lighting and it can also fuel engines. PINE TREE has already produced thousands of seedlings and is training farmers how to plant the trees. Bengwayan added that the tree does not displace people especially indigenous peoples, nor does it threaten food security as it is best planted in the natural forests. Also, it helps reduce global warming because the plant is a very good carbon sink, according to Bengwayan .