Not that I was Environment Enemy Number 1. I have been planting trees on my birthday since I was eight years old (and subsequently organized tree planting and mangrove planting activities in between) but as a mass communication senior at the University of the Philippines (then), I was quite alien to environmental terms.

But I know three points... that informing, inspiring and involving young people are three crucial stages of youth empowerment. These three points are bounded by communication, the field, which I'd like to believe, lays my own sphere of influence.

The youth empowerment formula, an idea fellow Philippine delegate Eunice Cacatian and I talked over dinner, struck a fine chord in me. It was then that I fully realized that one can always do something even if he or she is not an environmental science student, an environmental lawyer or someone who works for a nongovernmental organization which advocates environmental conservation and protection.

The idea was too wonderful and useful that I did not hesitate to share it to the other delegates during the night we discussed about the Youth Agenda. If Einstein can come up with E=mc², I thought, "Why can't we have E=i³(Empowerment equals informing times inspiring times involving)?"

From that night on, the formula became our mantra. We typed in the action plans and came up with a five-page youth agenda signed by the 45 of us hailing from ten different Asian countries.

Fast forward to October 2008, I am now a full-fledged journalist for Cebu Daily News (CDN), the local affiliate of the Philippine Daily Inquirer covering the business and economics beat.

While business and economics is my main beat, I still get to attend news coverages on the environment. Most recently, with the issues on global warming and climate change gaining worldwide awareness, even business people are not exempted from environmental concerns. They too know that global warming is not a fad. It may even be worse than any crisis that hit the world's financial markets.

Writing for CDN made me fulfill my first task of informing the public on what is happening around them and in sharing information with stakeholders on how we can achieve sustainable development.

Last September, I attended a mini-convention organized by young economists in the Philippines. The discussion revolved on the relationship of environment and business.

Environment advocate and lawyer Gloria Estenzo Ramos noted that tourism and real estate are top industries which will be greatly affected by abnormal environment conditions such as accelerated sea level rise. Ramos, a prime mover of the Save Tañon Strait Citizens Movement (STSCM), also writes a column in CDN so I get several insights from her on the state of the environment. Tañon Strait is a protected waterway that lies between the islands of Negros and Cebu and contains half of the 27 species of marine mammals.

An oil exploration, conducted by Japan Petroleum Exploration Co. Ltd early this year, triggered protests from environmental advocates and later on, the formation of the STSCM.

Writing for Cebu's only independent newspaper is likewise a blessing for me and my way of inspiring and involving my fellow journalists and the readers.

CDN believes in environment stewardship. It is also a member of the Philippine Business for Social Progress. We participate in the annual tree planting caravan and publish pictures (from our photographers) of Cebu's beautiful spots, which not all Cebuanos thought may have existed in the economic powerhouse of the south.

On the side, I still help organize environmental activities. In 2007, my college organization UP Cebu Tsinelas was awarded one of The Accomplished Youth Organizations in the Philippines. Our project entry called Pagbansay underscores one program which involves seminars and site visits to better raise awareness of children (aged 3 to 13) on the simple little things they can do to help save the environment.

I still plant trees on my birthday and continue to encourage people to do the same. I was able to plant 46 trees on my 22nd birthday at the Buhisan Watershed last August.

So once more, let me set the record straight: I still cannot fathom the specifics of CRM but at least now, I am not completely clueless. I have learned to read, ask questions and read some more.

As a journalist and a young leader, I am helping out in my own sphere of influence.

Lato is a member of the EASy Network which is composed of EAS Youth Forum participants. The Network was created during the EAS Congress 2006.