Philippines: Award-winning Environmentalist to Lead Greenpeace Southeast Asia

Manila, 17 March 2008–Greenpeace Southeast Asia has appointed Von
Hernandez as its new Executive Director.

One the region’s most prominent environmentalists, Mr Hernandez is known
for his campaigns exposing and stopping waste trade and waste
incineration in Southeast Asia. For this work, he was awarded the
Goldman Environmental Prize, considered the equivalent of the Nobel
Prize for grassroots environmentalists, in 2003. Hernandez is the first
Filipino to win the prestigious environmental award whose previous
recipients include Nobel laureate Wangari Maathai. More recently,
Hernandez has been cited as one of Time Magazine’s Heroes of the
Environment 2007, also for his work exposing the economic pitfalls, and
environmental and public health hazards of toxics pollution from waste
incineration.

As an environmental activist of more than fifteen years, Mr Hernandez
has initiated a number of environmental campaigns and projects in the
Philippines such as the campaign for the rehabilitation of the Pasig
River, and the crusade to clean-up toxic contaminated sites in the
former US military bases in Clark and Subic. He is also a founder and
key driver of various environmental initiatives and coalitions both at
the national and international levels including the Global
Anti-Incineration Alliance (GAIA), Waste Not Asia, Lakbay Kalikasan,
the Eco-Waste coalition, the Sagip Pasig Movement, the People’s Task
Force for Bases Clean-up, and Task Force Total Commercial Log Ban.

Mr Hernandez’s long involvement with Greenpeace began in 1995 with his
work as coordinator for Greenpeace International’s Toxics Campaign in
Asia. He is a board member of Greenpeace India, and served as Campaigns
Director of Greenpeace Southeast Asia for four years prior to his new
appointment as Executive Director.

Announcing Mr Hernandez’s appointment, Greenpeace Southeast Asia Board
Chair, Dr Opart Panya said he brought to Greenpeace a wealth of campaign
experience in addition to his strategic organizational skills.

“Von’s leadership will reinvigorate Greenpeace Southeast Asia’s regional
campaigns to defend the environment from the threats of climate change,
deforestation, pollution, and genetic contamination. We are especially
pleased that one of his major priorities will be to lead the fight
against climate change which will adversely affect the poorest nations
in the region. With Von, Greenpeace will remain true to its core values
of non-violent direct action, but at the same time he will bring
innovation and imagination to our high-profile regional campaign and
political work,” said Dr Panya.

Greenpeace Southeast Asia was formally established on March 1, 2000 and
has offices in Manila, Bangkok and Jakarta.

Greenpeace is an independent, global campaigning organization that acts
to change attitudes and behavior, to protect and conserve the
environment, and to promote peace.

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