Glamourbaby of the Week

Anna Oposa is a mermaid. Well, she may not have fins, but this is one heroic sea princess that champions the fight to preserve our beautiful Philippine seas. Powerful, dynamic, and soaking with charisma, Anna is a force that is certainly making waves and rocking the boat on marine biodiversity issues. Like all Glamourbabies, she’s not afraid to speak out, challenge, and stand up for a good fight. This is one young woman worthy of being a heroine in a novel- armed with a mission and the tenacity to do it all, she’s one of the fiercest I’ve been lucky enough to come across. Learn more about Anna below:

Full Name: Anna Rosario Remulla Oposa (Byline is always just “Anna Oposa”)

City: Bacoor (home) and Metro Manila (everything else)

Birthplace and Ethnicity: Cebu City, Proud Filipino

Occupation: Freelance writer, Policy Advocacy Officer of the Law of Nature Foundation, Co-Founder of Save Philippine Seas, Mermaid (told you!), Ambassador of good vibes

Website: http://annaoposa.ph (The .ph was a very conscious decision because I want people to know that I’m Filipino)

How do you define glamour?

Glamour is remaining shining , shimmering, splendid while facing challenges, changemaking in heels and a skirt, and finding opportunity in crisis.

Why do you do what you do? What is your WHY?

I don’t think what I’m doing is extraordinary or heroic; I see what I do as my duty as a Filipino. You see, the Philippines is in the center of marine biodiversity in the world. Scientists, scuba divers, and beachcombers fly thousands of kilometers just to see what lies beneath. In addition to having more species of corals than the entire Caribbean Sea and the Great Barrier Reef and 5/7 species of marine turtles, scientists are still discovering new species.

But the Philippines is also the center of marine adversity. We don’t implement our laws, we engage in illegal and destructive fishing methods, we trade our precious wildlife. If we protect our environment properly, it can be a lucrative source of livelihood in fisheries and tourism. It can sustain our economy.

At 23 years old, everything I’ve been doing is just a drop in the bucket. But anything worth doing cannot be done in one lifetime. It’s an uphill battle, always :)

Your message to young women.

To all the young women reading this:

The world’s changemakers are also its troublemakers. They’re the kids who may not be the smartest or most talented, but are passionately curious and courageous about initiating change in society. Stop hitting the internal snooze button, because every excuse is already a choice to fail. Do what you love and love what you do. Run on sunshine, smile at strangers, initiate conversations with people beside you. A person who is not nice to the waiter is not a nice person.

Happiness is a direction, not a destination. We have the power not just to clean up coasts, but also to clean up minds. Plant the world with good ideas, hope, and positivity.