Jonah Ibia giving a message at the community celebration for her Indigenous Women Educators Award, 5 April 2026. Photo courtesy of Salumayag Youth Collective for ForestsAnd she arrives, just as the first light of day touches everything she has tended in the past few decades. She is the only Filipina in this year’s roster, alongside other indigenous women leaders in Peru, Mexico, Costa Rica, India, Kenya, and Uganda. Women in conservationBeyond the joy, Paredes said that the recognition has game-changing implications for women in conservation. That whole system of knowledge is with the women… they have a vast amount of indigenous knowledge that should not just fade away,” she said.