Sophia Bagatsing grew up in Manila, Philippines. Her journey into sustainability weaves together her family history. “I grew up visiting relatives in the province. I realised agricultural life was present on all sides of my family. It’s in my blood!”.
She grew up with her maternal grandmother, “Lola Hilda,” whose parents maintained rice farms in Lambunao, Iloilo. Visiting these roots grounded her city upbringing. On her father’s side, Sophia lineage hails from the Indigenous Ifugao people of the Cordillera Region. Built over 2,000 years ago, the “Banaue Rice Terraces” are often referred to as the eighth wonder of the world.
“My father’s Gambuk-Beyer family were Indigenous, so I learned to value culture as I grew up,” she says. “It wasn’t until I studied agriculture that I truly understood the importance of ‘culture keepers’ in preserving the rich heritage of the Ifugao.”
The call to agriculture also echoes through her grandfathers, both of whom were lawyers that found solace in the land. Her maternal grandfather “Lolo Ven” had a cattle ranch in Masbate, while her paternal grandfather “Lolo Rey” kept a hobby farm in Batangas, which she fondly recalls as her personal petting zoo – filled with horses, pigs, chickens, ducks, and her pet snake. Sophia recalls “My dad told me it was time to feed Sammy the snake, and I realised the baby chicks I’d been playing with were the food. It was a rude awakening! I was shocked, but eventually I understood the snake has to eat as well.”
While her family migrated to Australia in 2009, Sophia stayed in Manila to finish a Business degree. In 2018, she spent time at Kahariam Organic Farms which was run by her great-uncle “Lolo Nonong” and his daughter “Tita Ria” Bagatsing. “I saw them doing incredible work on food waste management using vermicomposting and black soldier fly larvae,” she says. “They showed me that farming was about more than just growing food. It was also about “nourishing the soil to the soul.” Seeing their innovation solidified my commitment to using agriculture to solve environmental problems.”
To build on her vision, she enrolled at the University of Melbourne in 2019 to study Agricultural Science. “I felt a strong pull to pursue agricultural studies because I wanted to be equipped in caring for the land.”
Living in Wyndham, she volunteered with the Werribee Heritage Orchard and Landcare. “As a migrant, it was tricky to reconcile my passions in a new place. How do I connect with others with similar environmental values?” This led to the Werribee River Association in 2019, first as a volunteer, then board member, and now Environmental Engagement Officer.
“Volunteering helped bootstrap me to get connected to my community and the landscape. We’ve got some underrated nature spots here including the Werribee River, K-Road Cliffs, Werribee South Beach. While young people are my core community, I’ve made friends with lovely folk of all ages in the volunteer space.”
As a migrant to Australia, Sophia says she brings firsthand experience of what it means to experience climate impacts firsthand. “I’ve been stuck in flood waters and left without power after super typhoons. It makes me think about those who are helpless in the equation, like farmers who have less emissions compared to big corporations, yet they bear the brunt of extreme weather events.”
The Climate Crisis can be overwhelming, but Sophia finds hope in innovators paving the way for change. “It encourages me to know that I am not alone in finding solutions, and I refuse to accept that “this is as good as the world is going to get “.
“I view my work as a form of stewardship, challenging the consumption status quo. I don’t feel I exist just to “take” whatever I can from the land. It’s not mine to extract from, but rather it’s my turn to take care of it. I try to ask “What can I give?” rather than “What can I take?” I want to do justice to the work of my ancestors so that others can also experience the nature I got to enjoy. I think about how I can be a good ancestor for the next generation too, hopefully leaving this earth better than I found it.”
