Marites Gatan-Balbas
About yourself
I am Marites Gatan-Balbas. People call me Tess. I am a forester by profession specialized in Social Forestry. I am a mother of 2 beautiful children. I am the Director of Operations of the Mabuwaya Foundation.
We are working for the conservation of Isabela Oriole, Sea Turtles, Philippine crocodile and Philippine Eagle in Northern Luzon. We are working with Indigenous Peoples and Local communities, other government agencies and Local Government Units. In the Philippines where devolution of power is being practiced, we help the local government declare areas for conservation of threatened species as Locally Conserved Areas or Wildlife Sanctuaries.
What inspired you to start working in conservation?
I started working in conservation in 1996 as community organizer. In 1999, we discovered a relict wild population of the critically endangered endemic Philippine crocodile. Conservation of crocodiles is difficult as they have a very negative image. My role was to convince people and government officials that the Philippine crocodile has a right to live and is an important part of Philippine culture and nature. We conduct communication and capacitation programs aimed at promoting co-habitation of people and crocodiles. Now the communities we work with accept the crocodile as part of their lives, protect them and are proud of them! When we started there were 20 crocodiles, and now there are 125 crocodiles in the wild. This gives me hope for the future of biodiversity. We are applying the same community-based conservation model for species such as the Isabela Oriole, Flying Foxes and Sea Turtles and their habitat.
What does being a part of the ASAP Women in Conservation Leadership network mean to you?
Being part of the ASAP Network of Women means so much to me. Here, I was able to connect with other women in conservation. Even with different background and expertise, I know that we can inspire and motivate each other.
What I hope to achieve from the program is to better develop my leadership capabilities. Aside from this, I hope to learn from others through coaching and feedback that will enable me to improve my leadership styles. The learnings and experiences that I will gain from this program will not just boost my confidence but will also empower me to motivate and inspire my colleagues, that can lead to a better performing team.
But most importantly, I hope that the program will bring out the best of me!
What is your biggest takeaway from the in-person retreat sessions?
After the retreat, I have learned to take care of myself and realized that no matter what, I have to look for my well-being to also help me perform my responsibilities better than I used to. I also need to be kind and show empathy to others, which I found it so important for my job.
The Tiny Habit is very helpful. It might be very tiny, but if done continuously, it gives you an impact on your well-being which you can never imagine.
Developing connections and trust to the NOW Sisters gives so much joy and fulfilment. I have learned how to better connect with individuals of different background. This provides me the feeling of togetherness and showing me that I am not alone in the battle to conserve the environment and biodiversity.
Lastly, because I am in safe space, I was able to show, who I am truly!