ROWAN MARIZ NO

Age: 21
Height: 5 feet 7 inches
Measurements: 32 inches - 25 inches - 33 inches
Occupation/Education: Tourism Management Student

Describe your childhood/growing up years (8-13 years old):
When I was young, I used to enjoy going to the sea with my father to catch fish despite the fact that I can’t swim well. Moreover, I have also experienced going to the sea during storms and typhoons because this is the best time to catch fish. We frequently go fishing at two in the morning, collect the fish, and then help my mother sell them in the market.

What lessons did you learn from your childhood/growing years?
The lesson I learned when I was a child was the value of money and nature. I have to value money because as fishermen, we do not earn that much. We have to save money to buy our necessities and we cannot just buy luxuries whenever we want. I have to appreciate nature because if it is destroyed, how can we live if it will greatly affect our everyday living?

Most memorable moment:
My most memorable moment when I was a child was fishing during the storm and having to cross town to sell our catch. It surely is bad weather for others but for us fishermen, it provides a good and big opportunity since typhoons help generate substantial increase of our income.

Why do you want to be Miss Philippines Earth?
I want to be Miss Philippines Earth 2023 to be an inspiration to other women, particularly fishermen like me, and I will be their voice through my advocacy. I will use this platform to raise awareness, educate others and reach a wider audience that supports the idea that the sea is not merely a tourist attraction, but also our way of life as it is our main source of food and income. If we cannot preserve it, then we cannot survive. Aside from that, I want to be an instrument in promoting our beloved island that I call home, which offers a wide variety of seafood that can help provide jobs, tourism and even business growth for my fellow fishermen and the rest of the community.

What is your environmental advocacy and why did you choose this?
My environmental advocacy is the preservation and conservation of marine coastal ecosystems because this campaign highlights the symbiosis between humans and nature for sustainability that will focus on preserving ecological integrity which will generate long-term and sustainable benefits for both the present and future generations. Aside from this, our main source of food and income is the environment because fishing is our main source of living and I belong to a family of fishermen and I am a fisherman myself. Having said that, I cannot risk losing a portion of what has turned into our home.

What tip can you share to promote eco-tourism in your City or Municipality?
As they say, "Take nothing but memories and leave nothing but footprints."

The best advice I can give for promoting eco-tourism in Kalibo and Aklan is to effectively use social media as a powerful tool in producing engaging and beneficial content that will draw in new and returning visitors. In light of this, it is essential to promote and stress eco-friendly and responsible travel among visitors and locals, as well as to emphasize the need for conserving and protecting the environment, which involves following certain dos and don'ts. It is also a must to plan out and create eco-tourism marketing materials and responsible fishing campaigns that resonate with sustainable tourism and reflect the voices of local people.