Club member and designer Zarah Juan (above) was recognized for turning 70 tons of discarded tarps into fashionable tote bags at the ArteFino Festival.

Club member Mara Sebastian (above)  was praised for her ecological conservation efforts.


Club member and sculptor Charming Baldemor (above) won the prestigious Pamana Award for her efforts in keeping her town's artisan wood-carving industry alive while repurposing discarded materials with the creation of handbags made out of twice-upcycled wood. 

Zonta Club of Makati and Environs members receive recognition as climate change leaders

The Zonta Club of Makati and Environs, Philippines, recognizes that addressing climate change affects the quality of life for future generations. 

In support of building climate-resilient communities,  the club launched its Plastic Waste Recycling and Upcycling project to bring awareness to the problem of plastic waste and its effect on the environment. Through this project, they hope to reduce consumers' plastic footprint.

Three club members are social entrepreneurs who tapped into the environmental benefits of upcycling discarded materials in the production process and reducing the need for mining virgin materials. Another member conserves and protects the environment through sustainable tree farming. For their environmental efforts, those three members were recognized for their contributions to reducing the drivers of climate change at the ArteFino Festival in September.

Zarah Juan
In response to the overwhelming number of campaign tarps used in the recent elections, Zontian Zarah partnered with Spark Philippines and local government organizations to upcycle the tarpaulins and repurpose them into tote bags. Zara is an internationally-renowned designer and climate change advocate.

At the ArteFino Festival, Zarah was recognized for turning 70 tons of discarded tarps into fashionable tote bags. The project not only turned garbage into practical art but also gave employment to the local community.

Mara Sebastian
Also praised for her ecological conservation efforts, Zontian Mara runs Marsse Tropical Timber Plantations Inc, a family-owned and operated mature, sustainable tree farm specializing in tropical hardwood trees.

Under Mara's leadership, the tree farm is committed to developing sustainable tree plantations to ensure a future where the need for wood is met in harmony with nature. She also created many jobs for her community by advocating for sustainable tree farming.

Charming Baldemor
Zontian and sculptor Charming won the ArteFino Festival's most prestigious award, the Pamana Award, for her efforts in keeping her town's artisan wood-carving industry alive while repurposing discarded materials with the creation of handbags made out of twice-upcycled wood. Each piece of wood is sourced from the Ipil, Yakal and Narra trimmings found at demolished residential sites.

An initiative of ArteFino and Metro Style Magazine, the Pamana Award recognizes brands that celebrate Filipino heritage by expertly combining tradition and innovation to create products that Modern Filipino families can use for years.