DICAPRIO JOINS CALL FOR MASUNGI PROTECTION
MANILA, Philippines — Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio took to social media to express his support for the call to protect Masungi Georeserve, a rainforest in Rizal province in the Philippines.
The Oscar winner and environmentalist shared a snap of Masungi with its local rangers, accompanied by a call-to-action message via Instagram – which has over 61 million followers – on Thursday. The post was also shared on his official Facebook page that has 19 million followers.
"Masungi is a lush mountain rainforest landscape outside of Manila, the bustling capital of the Philippines. In the late 1990s, much of Masungi was illegally deforested," DiCaprio said.
In his statement, the actor praised the local communities for their conservation efforts to restore the rainforest's ecosystem, which resulted in increased numbers of trees, wildlife, and locals who wanted to be involved in the cause.
The Masungi Georeserve received recognition at the 2024 World Economic Forum as well as the 2022 UN Sustainable Development Goals Action Campaign Inspire Awards.
However, he mentioned that this environmental initiative was now "in jeopardy," with a possible cancellation of the protection agreement on the area according to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
"This cancellation would set back the success of an internationally acclaimed conservation effort and leave the area vulnerable again to mining, logging, and illegal developments," he said.
DiCaprio said that by urging the public to call out the authorities to act, even tagging President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
"Join local rangers in calling on President Bongbong Marcos to intervene and continue to protect Masungi. Conservation successes like Masungi serve as a reminder that the Philippines can become a leader in sustainability, eco-tourism, biodiversity protection, and climate action. Protect Masungi Georeserve," he added.
Below is Di Caprio's post on his Instagram and Facebook accounts.
Many Filipino fans and personalities have shown their appreciation to the award-winning actor in the comment section, thanking him for shedding light on the issue.
"Thank you @leonardodicaprio. Bravo @masungigeoreserve for keeping on! Amazing to see the world stand with the brave work you do!" Journalist and host Karen Davila said in her comment.
Due to an allegedly unconstitutional clause, a team from DENR has suggested terminating the 2017 agreement with the Masungi Georeserve Foundation Inc. (MGFI) for the preservation of the 2,700 hectares of wooded property.
This suggestion came after the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) requested for the suspension of the operations of MGFI due to supposed illegal displacement of indigenous people from Masungi, their ancestral domain.
In addition, a Facebook post by MGFI in February this year claimed that their drone surveillance caught multiple drilling operations by Rizal Wind Energy Corp., backed by Singapore-based Vena Energy, posing threat to the rainforest's limestone under conservation.
Masungi has grown in popularity as a tourist destination in recent years, with many commercial establishments appearing in the area nearby known as the Marilaque Highway.
2024-07-04T07:18:21Z dg43tfdfdgfd