The Climate Crisis: Planetary Health Philippines and the Impact in Asian-Pacific Countries
Catalyst Fund Awardee
Renzo Guinto
Venture
Planetary Health PhilippinesProgram
Catalyst FundLocation
Philippines
Year
2025Climate change is a growing global health emergency, and the Philippines is one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable nations. Typhoons, floods, and heatwaves fuel deadly disease outbreaks, devastate health systems, and displace entire communities. Renzo Guinto, MD DrPH, witnessed these impacts firsthand and decided to take action. With deep experience in global health leadership, including high-level advisory roles, Renzo founded Planetary Health Philippines (PH2), serving as Convener and Chief Planetary Doctor for PH Lab. Renso and PH2 are at the forefront of the planetary health movement, working to build a future where the health of people and the planet are treated as one.
There is an urgent need to build climate-resilient health systems and embrace the planetary health approach that integrates the care for human health with care for the environment.
This movement calls for balance between economic growth and ecological limits, and demands justice for those on the margins most affected by climate change. Through bold biodiversity initiatives, PH2 has established a powerful platform that unites organizations and sectors to take collective action against climate disasters. Through education, community advocacy, collaborative research, and policy action, the PH2 community is building momentum for planetary stewardship by healing people, protecting the planet, and creating a more just and sustainable future for all.
PH2 has adopted a multi-pronged strategy to tackle this systemic, complex, and intersectional issue by combining education, awareness campaigns, grassroots innovation, and policy-driven research. Some community-led projects have been adopted by local governments and are gaining global traction. PH2 is scaling toward self-sustaining, community-based solutions, offering a powerful model the world can follow in the fight against climate change.
Planetary Health Team
Renzo Guinto and colleagues