During its first quarterly Board of Trustees (BOT) meeting for 2021, Forest Foundation Philippines elected its new board officers.
At the helm of the BOT is Ms. Edwina Dominguez-Garchitorena, who was elected as Chairperson of the Board of Trustees. As Chairperson, Ms. Dominguez-Garchitorena will provide mission-based leadership and strategic governance for the Foundation. She will play a pivotal role as the Foundation lays the groundwork for its 5-year grant program for 2022 to 2027.
In addition, Ms. Maria Aurora Francisco-Tolentino was elected as Secretary and Mr. Dennis Salvador was elected as the Programs Committee Chairperson. Moreover, Ms. Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga was appointed as a new member and elected as the Treasurer of the BOT.
Likewise, the government representatives from the Philippines, including the Department of Finance (DOF) through Hon. Carlos Dominguez and Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) through Hon. Roy Cimatu, and the United States of America, including the United States Embassy in the Philippines through Ms. Claire Bea and USAID Philippines through Mr. John Edgar, continue to support the BOT as members.
The new members and officers will serve the BOT from 2021 to 2024. The BOT is composed of five representatives from the civil society, who are elected to four-year terms, and four representatives from the governments, who serve permanent terms. It oversees the strategic, financial, programmatic, and governance standards of the Foundation.
They are replacing the Foundation’s outgoing trustees: Dr. Antonio La Viña; Dr. Donna Reyes; Dr. Bebet Gozun; Mr. Jaime Ayala; and Mr. Federico Reyes.
Established in 2002, under two bilateral agreements between the governments of the United States of America and the Philippines, Forest Foundation Philippines is a nonprofit organization that provides grants to organizations that empower the people to protect and conserve the forests.