This is a press release from Centre for Sustainability PH.

With forests and wildlife around the world quickly disappearing, especially the most sought-after pangolin, more and more people are starting to realize their loss could mean another fatal pandemic like COVID-19.

Australian organization HalfCut joined forces with young women-led Centre for Sustainability PH (CS) based in Palawan to turn the spotlight on saving forests and wildlife on Monday, August 31, for the International HalfCut Day in the Philippines.

The commemoration encourages participants to go HalfCut by doing something fun or creative with half of their hair and/or beard (shave, dye, braid), post their look on social media, and urge family, friends, and followers to donate to the cause.

HalfCut recently launched an online donations platform with no borders after witnessing how 50% of the world’s forests have all but disappeared.

“Everyone from all walks of life, young and old, women and men can become active environmental heroes to fundraise to protect our forests, conserve it, and regenerate and defend the remaining forests of Palawan, Australia and beyond,” said CS Co-Executive Director & Co-Founder KM Reyes.

In the Philippines, donations will go to the funding of CS’ Project Palawan, which seeks to create a new protected area in southern Palawan, known locally by indigenous Tagbanua communities as Kensad.

CS is undertaking the HalfCut Challenge on their social media to spread awareness that the Philippines was originally 95% covered in forest, but now only 3% remains.

It seeks to protect remaining Philippine forests through legal establishment of protected areas, starting in Palawan, the country’s “last ecological frontier.”

Several supporters from US, Europe, and Philippines have joined CS’ Half Cut Challenge on social media, raising money through their personal Facebook and Instagram accounts.

“Filipinos here and abroad, and foreigners who’ve visited and fallen in love with the ‘Best Island in the World,’ have contacted us and immediately jumped onboard to directly fundraise in their own networks to support us in protecting Palawan,” Reyes said. 

CS already successfully spearheaded the creation of the Cleopatra’s Needle Critical Habitat in Puerto Princesa City, legally established by the Philippine government in 2017. It is the Philippines’ biggest critical habitat.

In celebration of International HalfCut Day, CS is calling on Filipinos across the country to post a HalfCut look on their social media, raise awareness about the decimation of Philippine forests, and urge friends and followers to conserve what is left by donating to Project Protect Palawan on August 31.

“HalfCut has proven such an empowering platform—anyone with a cell phone and internet who cares about our disappearing forests in the Philippines can join us frontline conservationists in Palawan to make a concrete and material difference in an instant!” said Reyes.

CS will continue the HalfCut Challenge on their social media, and fundraise on the HalfCut platform for Project Protect Palawan until September 10. 

For more information, visit them on Facebook and Instagram @centreforsustainabilityph. To donate, go to www.halfcut.org/protectPalawan. – Rappler.com