WWF and SMART partner to preserve Davao Gulf ~ My Opinion

It’s another first for WWF to partner with SMART Communications Inc., a leading wireless services provider to raised funds through sms/texting service that will be used in protecting and rehabilitating Davao Gulf in Mindanao. They called this project Text-to-Donate service, the sms-based donation platform empowers more that 46 million SMART and Talk ‘N Text subscribers to send their contribution to WWF through their mobile phone anywhere they are and anytime they wanted. All they need to do is to text WWF (amount) and send to 4483; denominations accepted are 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, 300, 500 and 1,000. Donated amount will be deducted from the subscriber’s prepaid load or will be billed on postpaid accounts.

(WWF-Philippines Vice-Chair and CEO, Lory Tan)

SMART is also giving their subscribers an option to give regular donations amounting P5 that will be deducted or billed every 20 days, to opt in on this service just text WWF ON to 4483. The said partnership between WWF and SMART was spearheaded by WWF-Philippines Vice-Chair and CEO, Lory Tan and SMART’s Public Affairs Head Mon Isberto. Both organizations/company supports preservation of wildlife where us Davao Gulf is one of their target areas which is the home of most Philippine Dugong and Green Sea Turtles that are both endangered now.

(SMART’s Public Affairs Head Mon Isberto)

In the Philippines, 5 out of 7 turtle specie is located here, while dugong also an herbivore sea creature lives in wide, shallow, protected areas like Davao Gulf. The area is one of the priority conservation areas of the Sulu-Sulawesi Marine Eco-region. Philippines is part of what we call Coral Triangle along with Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Timor-Leste where almost or at least 500 species of reef-building corals in each ecoregion. Where different specie of sea creatures inhabit within it and as of 2007, WWF considers it as a top priority for marine conservation through their Coral Triangle Program.

Lastly for Davao Gulf, WWF Philippines already implemented conservation and protection programs in conjunction with the efforts of the Davao Gulf Management Council composed for five coastal cities and 18 coaster municipalities within the area. As for SMART Communication Inc., they conducted running events in Davao with their volunteers to raised funds for the preservation of the Davao Gulf, making it a perfect partnership between SMART and WWF-Philippines.To learn more about WWF-Philippines project and to be a volunteer visit www.wwf.org.ph.