Our Story
The world is changing in rapid speed. We invite you to pause, reflect, renew your purpose, and see how everything is interconnected.
We at Green Releaf believe that a whole-systems approach can bring about healing and transformation on the personal, collective, and planetary level.
In a time of climate crisis, grief, and systemic collapse, root systems can connect and build networks, to cultivate stronger communities of practice, support systems, and partners for a regenerative future.
Solutions must go beyond sustainability. We make use of regenerative design as our response amidst radical challenges humanity is facing today.
Together with local and international practitioners of ecovillage and permaculture design for development, we empower local and collaborative leadership with early adapters, community leaders, and sectoral representatives.
Our Vision, Mission, and Goal
We envision thriving community ecosystems practicing and showcasing regenerative solutions in the face of climate change and other radical transitions.
We work to inspire, empower, and model the many benefits of whole systems to support resilience and regeneration in communities through regenerative design and solutions.
We aim to activate, demonstrate, and catalyze regenerative practices and model communities through education, empowerment, and earth care.
Our People
We are a community–led transition initiative supporting transitions in emergencies and crises using whole systems design. As much as we can, we form our team depending on the local context and experience. To engage local ownership, we focus on empowering local leadership across sectors, cultures, genders, and generations.
Core & Field Team
Meet our Co-Founders, Staff,
and Facilitating Team
Community Leaders
These are our Community Leaders from our Partner Communities
Wisdom Circle
Get to know our Board Members, and Advisers
Wisdom Circle
Get to know our Board Members and Advisers
Ivan Ledesma
Ivan Ledesma is a humanitarian practitioner and educator with over a decade of field experience working in complex contexts from various regions such as South America, Middle East and in South East Asia. Ivan’s current practice focus is on the localization of humanitarian aid, where he is currently leading a multi-country programme working with conflict affected populations in Thailand, Myanmar, and India. Ivan is also a faculty member of the College of Social Work and Community Development (CSWCD) - University of the Philippines (UP), where he teaches organizing and development with Internally Displaced Populations (IDPs).
Francisca de Zwager
Francisca is a professional and passionate SME/NGO executive, entrepreneur/owner, and consultant, with over 30 years of hands-on experience in linking business, international trade, marketing, and development. She is currently active as thinking partner/mentor/coach to leaders in successful and growing nonprofits and small businesses to help develop and implement their personal capacities, strategies, and tactics. Francisca is a Business Consultant of DBA Joyful Business Solutions.
Ramie V. Debuayan
A Bachelor of Commerce Major in Accounting graduate turned into an environmental advocate. Ramie started development work in 1998 as Admin and Finance Officer with a Cebu-based NGO working towards a just world for abused children. In 2001, she worked with Bohol Marine Triangle Project, a UNDP-GEF-funded project in partnership with the Foundation for the Philippine Environment (FPE) where she served for more than 18 years. This started her journey toward advocating environmental conservation and protection. Ramie engaged with Consultancy under EGGZOS Consulting Services based in Tagbilaran City Bohol after her early retirement in March 2022.
Suzanne Holazo Faelnar
Suzanne is a humanitarian specialist in Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism (PCVE), a writer, and a strong advocate for peace and development in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), with years of experience in Disaster Risk Reduction Management (DRRM). She is a co-founder of N.E.T.S. Inc., a local NGO focused on environmental justice and indigenous peoples’ rights, and Director of Partnerships for the International Association for Human Values (IAHV-PH) Philippines, Inc., an NGO addressing the Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) needs of people affected by disasters, conflict and violence.
Arthur Bagalacsa
Arthur Bagalacsa is a Real Estate Broker and Sustainability Entrepreneur. He advocates designed livable communities, food security, circular economy and inclusive finance. He initiated the formation of a number of Homeowners Association using it as a platform and one of the primary ports of call for change and solutions. Immediately after his University, he dabbled in different corporate jobs in different capacities: accounting and administration, sales, and security. As an avid native tree enthusiast, he looks after more than a dozen of native tree endangered species seedlings.
Rose Marie Yenko
Rose is a clinical psychologist, and OD consultant. At present, Chair Emeritus, The Carl Jung Circle Center, and co-founder of the Depth Institute of Asia. Advocate for Jungian and Depth Psychology in the country. Engaged in psychotherapy for adults and couples. As well as advocate for the gifts in the Filipino Psyche to be recognized and honored. In the past, has been engaged for decades in development work - organization transformation for both public, private (large, medium, small) organizations and NGOs, rural development, local government development, criminal justice system reforms, electoral reforms, tourism development and many others.
Core & Field Team
Meet our Co-Founders, Staff, and Facilitating Team
Sarah Queblatin
Sarah is an inclusive regenerative design strategist passionate in transforming the narrative of Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) into “Design for Resilience and Regeneration.” She is a founding member of Permaculture for Refugees and has worked with the Global Ecovillage Network for its UN and Advocacy program and served as representative to the UN Climate conferences. Sarah is a recipient of the Next Generation Award of the Arts and Healing Network in 2012 for her work in using ritual and arts for environmental education and the peace process in the Philippines
Emz Cueva
Emz is the administrative and finance support of Green Releaf. With Emz’s previous experience as a travel agent, she believes that the tourism industry needs to provide more of a comprehensive tourism system and programs that promote sustainable tourism and provide nature-based solutions to tourism challenges, especially in addressing the garbage waste in the tourist-congested spots of the country. As a member of the Green Releaf team, she feels part of the solution through RG's resiliency and regeneration approach and programs. She is also a general virtual assistant to a US enthusiast engaged in supporting the less privileged community and children, particularly in developing countries. Emz also previously managed social media accounts, e-newsletters, and book promotions for a motivational writer from the U.S.
Terence Osorio
Terence journeys with people and communities to help them reconnect with the earth, develop climate resiliency and return to a more regenerative lifestyle, by weaving spirituality, ecology, healing modalities and the arts.
Gia Querubin
Gia provides branding and communications support to Green Releaf and Living Story Landscapes. Specializing in mindful marketing strategies, intentional branding, and community building, Gia helps transform brands toward sustainability and social responsibility. She founded Binhi in 2018, a movement that furthers mindful living, sustainable trade system, food sovereignty, and a circular local economy in Palawan, Philippines and established Studio Buko in 2021, a creative communications studio operated by a community of artists dedicated to creating conscious concepts and design solutions to inclusive businesses and sustainable brands.
Mafe Pastorpide
Mafe is the Programs Coordinator for Green Releaf. Over the pandemic she has increased curiosity in biodiversity, native trees, mangroves, permaculture and conservation. Since then she has been associated with Forest Sustainability Lab, Philippine Bamboo Society of Advocates and Coffee Expo. She helps create collaboration between different stakeholders and help the different organizations to achieve their goals and objectives.
Kat Candelaria
Kat has been working with Green Releaf since 2021. She has been involved with several projects of the organization - Pamumuno Lab, Permaculture Education Materials Project, and Releaf.Community. Before joining Green Releaf, she used to work in National Commission for Culture and the Arts as a Researcher. She also had an opportunity to teach in public school for almost two years. Her experience in education and cultural heritage has been beneficial for the projects that she is handling in Green Releaf. Currently, she is working as a Project Assistant and Facilitator for Living Stories Landscapes, a Green Releaf partnered project. When she has a free time, she volunteers to Save San Roque Alliance, a group that advocates for decent, affordable, and inclusive housing of the urban poor community of Sitio San Roque, Quezon City.