Hello, {{First Name | reader}},

July is here and so is Sustina’s first birthday! 🎂 It’s officially been a year since this journey began for us.

One year since we decided to try something different in the name of our obsession with sustainability. When we started, there was no certainty that the Philippines had room for a new approach; one that put editors and journalists in the same workroom as impact and sustainability strategists. In a context that often favors tradition over innovation, it was a risk.

Fast forward 1 year, 5 workshops, 3 mixers, almost 100 published articles, and countless learning labs—and we can say with more certainty that we’re on the right path.

Thank you for sticking with us through Year 1. Expect Year 2 to be packed with more insights, more nuanced explainers and features, and the launch of our first grant-funded project: the Circular Solutions Map.

Rest assured our small team is working hard, so we can be here for many more years to come.

On that note, here are the most impactful pieces published in the last month that you might have missed:

🏳‍🌈 While we agree that Pride Month is a year-round affair, nonbinary fitness coach Eala Nolasco marked the occasion with an opinion piece on how LGBTQIA+ community builders might be ahead of the curve in designing for inclusivity.

🌍 In honor of World Environment Month, climate activist Ma. Jaya Ariola wrote about why environmental defenders in the deadliest country in Asia refuse to stop.

🧪 Meanwhile, the strategists from Sustina Lab have been busy cooking up the latest Insight Report from a new workshop on Sustainability for Founders.

— The Editors

At a woman’s networking event, Sustina’s resident nonbinary raised a hand and a hard question. The room wasn’t quite ready with an answer. In this essay, Eala writes about the power of words to decide who’s welcome, and how real inclusion begins when we look beyond our biases.

Up to 58% of LGBTQIA+ young people in the Philippines do not feel comfortable interacting with others as their true selves, according to a report by The Trevor Project. Meanwhile only half of those young Filipinos reported that the community where they lived was “accepting of LGBTQIA+ people.”

The report also found that living in an accepting community was associated with lower suicide risk, less self-harm, and fewer mental health concerns.

Much has been said about the Philippines joining the U.S.-led Pax Silica program, but many crucial details also remain unknown. From jurisdiction to environmental protections, local groups are asking what this initiative entails for our resources and sovereignty, and who, truly, benefits in the end.

On May 29, Sustina held its third iteration of the “Sustainability for Founders” workshop at the Asian Institute of Management, convening a cohort of leaders from distinct, purpose-driven organizations across education, sustainability, advocacy, and the circular economy.

Every cohort teaches us something new. This time the learning was clear: When organizations hit a growth ceiling, the default instinct for the founders is to seek external solutions—more funding, stronger partnerships, or better strategies.

The Good Stories Movement celebrates Filipinos in environmental and humanitarian spaces, recognizing those whose stories are less often told. The 2026 edition champions individuals and communities across five categories in Water, Land, Air, Environmental Law & Eco-Governance, and People Culture & Advocacy.

Here are other stories from Sustina Earth: