Silliman University College of Mass Communication alumnus Mac Edsel Florendo received the 2023 Sustainability Leadership Award (category: non-profit) in a ceremony organized by Sustainable PH.
The founder of Food Rescue Philippines, and supervisor of Scholars of Sustenance (SOS) Philippines, Florendo was recognized for his “exceptional work advancing sustainability and tackling pressing problems like poverty and food waste”.
Florendo’s passion for environmental advocacy and sustainable development was stoked during his time with the Cuernos de Negros Mountaineers Club at SU. His experience with the club would set the stage for a journey of environmental advocacy.
In 2015, Florendo was a recipient of the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative, which allowed him to study environmental issues at the East-West Center Hawaii. There he discovered Boulder Food Rescue in Colorado, which gave him the idea to introduce food rescue to the Philippines. He then founded Food Rescue Philippines, which was initially known as Food Rescue ASEAN.
In 2023, Florendo took on the role of food rescue supervisor at SOS Philippines, an organization well-known for its efforts in rescuing surplus food, and distributing it to those in need.
The Sustainability Leadership Awards honor emerging Filipino leaders under-40 who have made a substantial contribution toward creating a more sustainable and equitable future.
Florendo graduated from Silliman, cum laude, in 2016. (Jameela Antoniette Mendoza/SU OIP)
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Photo Caption: Mac Edsel Florendo accepts his Sustainability Leadership Award at a formal ceremony at the Changemaker 2040. (Photo grabbed from Sustainable PH’s Facebook account)
