Homegrown lad Mac Edsel Florendo, founder of Food Rescue Philippines and Food Rescue Supervisor of Scholars of Sustenance (SOS) Philippines, received the 2023 Sustainability Leadership Award in the category of Non-profit Sustainable Development Leadership at a ceremony organized by Sustainable PH, in collaboration with Union Bank and JCI Quezon City Capitol, at the Changemaker 2040, Parañaque on November 18, 2023.
He was recognized for his exceptional work advancing sustainability and tackling pressing problems like poverty and food waste.
Florendo’s passion for environmental advocacy and sustainable development sparked during his time with the Cuernos de Negros Mountaineers Club at Silliman University where he graduated mass communication, cum laude, in 2016. His experience with the club would set the stage for a journey of environmental advocacy.
In 2015, Florendo was a recipient of the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI), which allowed him to study environmental issues at the East-West Center Hawaii. There he discovered Boulder Food Rescue in Colorado, which gave him the idea to introduce food rescue to the Philippines. He then founded Food Rescue Philippines, which was initially known as Food Rescue ASEAN.
In 2023, Florendo took on the role of Food Rescue Supervisor at SOS Philippines, an organization well-known for its efforts in rescuing surplus food and distributing it to those in need. With this post, he is able to further his influence and reaffirm his commitment to reducing food waste and hunger globally.
The Sustainability Leadership Awards honor emerging Filipino leaders under 40 who have made a substantial contribution toward creating a more sustainable and equitable future.
Meanwhile, the 27th National Conference and 6th International Conference on Economics Education in Southeast Asian Nations (ICEE-SEAN) was held in Dumaguete City ending on November 25 in partnership with the Council of Economics Educators (CECON).
With the theme, “Economics Education: Status and Future of Artificial Intelligence in Teaching and Learning among Southeast Asian Nations,” the conference used the hybrid modality, catering to 150 online attendees and 50-60 on-site participants.
Among the keynote speakers were Undersecretary Rafaelita Aldaba of the Department of Trade and Industry; Dr. Agham Cuevas, the vice chancellor for academic affairs of the University of the Philippines at Los Baños; and Dr. Jose Mark Libre, commissioner of the Commission on Higher Education.
The conference also featured Southeast Asian speakers, namely Mr. Ryan Soh, founder and chief executive of EDUFIED, Singapore; Dr. Achmad Yanu Alif Flanto of Universitas 17 Augustus 1945 (UNTAG) in Surabaya, Indonesia; and Assoc. Prof. Mohd Hanafin Ahmad Hijazi, the dean of the Faculty of Computing and Informatics at the Universiti Malaysia Sabah in Sabah, Malaysia.
Other resource speakers were Mr. Mennen Aracid of Ateneo de Manila, Dr. Dave Marcial of Silliman University, and Dr. Anna Liza Ramos of St. Michael’s College of Laguna.
CECON is a professional association of economics educators in the Philippines registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission in 1997. It organizes the annual ICEE-SEAN to provide a platform for teachers to discuss pertinent issues and trends in the teaching and learning of economics. | NWI
