Former U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama on Earth Day praised Filipina Carmela Bagum for her conservation work in coastal areas in the Philippines that are frequented by typhoons.
Mrs Obama said the 21-year-old fisheries technologist persevered, despite floods and other challenges posed by the weather.
"As a fisheries technologist working in an NGO [PRRCFI] that works for conservation and partners with the local government units, I was able to participate and become more involved in decision making for our community, drafting and implementing environmental policies," Bagum said in a feature on Global Citizen website, which Obama shared in her post.
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Bagum graduated cum laude from Bacolod City's Carlos Hilado Memorial State College in 2019, according to Philippine Reef and Rainforest Conservation Foundation. She is part of a female duo who initiated a ProCoast project aiming for sustainable coastal protection in typhoon-ravaged coastal areas in the Philippines.
Sharing the spotlight with Bagum were four other young women from Kenya, US, India, and the Bahamas and their efforts to protect the planet.
