Former Occidental Mindoro Congresswoman Josephine Ramirez-Sato has been named a “Champion of Change” by the UN Development Programme (UNDP) for her work in biodiversity conservation, making her the only Asian among four global honorees.

Ramirez-Sato was recognized for authoring the Enhanced National Integrated Protected Areas System (E-NIPAS) Act, which expanded the Philippines’ protected areas from 13 to 107.

The legislation enabled protected areas to access annual public funding ranging from 1 to 10 million dollars, UNDP’s Biodiversity Finance (BIOFIN) initiative said in its 2024 workbook “Finance for Nature.”

During her term, Ramirez-Sato pushed for bills banning mining in Mindoro and expanding marine protected areas, including the Apo Reef Natural Park.

She also supports the conservation of tamaraws, a critically endangered buffalo species found only in Mindoro, through a crowdfunding campaign.

BIOFIN has identified that the Philippines needs 530 million dollars annually for biodiversity conservation, but current spending sits at only 100 million dollars, leaving an 80 percent funding gap.

The other Champions of Change are Doris Rios from Costa Rica, Sergio Graf Montero from Mexico, and Mutumboi Mundia from Zambia.

The Philippines is one of 17 megadiverse countries globally, hosting more than 855 globally rare species.