Filipino is new Greenpeace SE Asia boss

Von Hernandez

Award winning environmentalist Von Hernandez is the new Executive Director for Greenpeace Southeast Asia.

Greenpeace Southeast Asia Board Chair, Dr. Opart Panya, who announced the appointment, said Hernandez has brought to Greenpeace a wealth of campaign experience.

"Von's leadership will reinvigorate Greenpeace Southeast Asia's regional campaigns to defend the environment from the threats of climate change, deforestation, pollution, and genetic contamination," Panya said.

Panya added that "we are especially pleased that one of his major priorities will be to lead the fight against climate change which will adversely affect the poorest nations in the region."

He added that with Hernandez, Greenpeace Southeast Asia will remain true to its core values of non-violent direct action, but at the same time will be innovative in its high-profile regional campaign and political work.

Hernandez's involvement with Greenpeace began in 1995 with his work as coordinator for Greenpeace International's Toxics Campaign in Asia. He is a board member of Greenpeace India, and served as Campaigns Director of Greenpeace Southeast Asia for four years.

Hernandez has been an environmental activist for more than 15 years and is known for his campaigns in exposing and stopping waste trade and incineration in Southeast Asia.

Recently, Hernandez has been cited as one of Time Magazine's Heroes of the Environment 2007, for his work exposing the economic pitfalls, and environmental and public health hazards of toxics pollution from waste incineration.

In 2003, he was awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize, considered the equivalent of the Nobel Prize for grassroots environmentalists. Hernandez is the first Filipino to win the that award, whose previous recipients include Nobel laureate Wangari Maathai.

Hernandez also initiated the Philippines' campaign for the rehabilitation of the Pasig River, and the crusade to clean up contaminated sites in the former US military bases in Clark and Subic.