By Marianne Bongcac
Being an environmental science graduate, I always encounter questions regarding my profession. I would always answer something in between being a researcher, educator, pollution control officer, and urban planner – or sometimes I just plainly state that I will be working at the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) someday. There is a huge amount of uncertainty in my field especially here in the Philippines, but deep inside, I knew that I would love to be involved in the field of research.
I took environmental science because I wanted to contribute to society. Of course, the usual option is to become a medical doctor, but I just kept on being drawn to the environment field. I even shifted immediately as soon as I read from a pamphlet that the College of Science was offering a Biology program with concentration in Environmental Science.
Looking for a job with an environmental science degree is no joke. There isn’t an abundance of jobs locally that look for researchers in my field. There were a couple of vacancies in the government, but they would always ask for a professional civil service licensure, something that I still have to work on. And they would always look for candidates with 1-3 years of experience on average. Basically, there’s hardly any room for fresh graduates.
Eight months of job hunting and writing a total of 20 cover letters, I only got two interviews and no acceptance. In those eight months, I was at my lowest, wondering when or how will I ever become a researcher, even questioning its plausibility. My anxiety just brought all sorts of thoughts forward.
All of a sudden, in a research conference where I presented my undergraduate thesis on microplastics, I first encountered the discipline of planetary health. I was captivated not only by how new and fresh the concept is but also how the unseen interconnection between human health and environmental health made so much sense. I thought that this field could make a huge impact in achieving the regenerative future that the world needs.
Since planetary health is a relatively new discipline, it offers a multitude of possibilities. It provides a chance to refine our approach to health protection and environmental conservation. It also expands opportunities in the job market. For us who spent four years of our lives studying the sciences, planetary health is a new arena for inquiry and action. Because of its transdisciplinary nature, planetary health is not exclusive to environmental science graduates; whether you are a political science, communication, education, or architecture major, you have a place in planetary health.
The integrative nature of planetary health encompasses different sectors and disciplines. One of its central values is inclusivity, encouraging diversity and participation from people of all ages especially the youth. This new field of planetary health will model what future workplaces would look like, where growth, innovation, and empathy are upheld.
Now that I am working in this new field, I can definitely say that I’m one step closer to my dream of becoming a researcher – not just for the planet, but for the people now and in the future.
Marianne Bongcac is a junior researcher-advocate at PH Lab, Climate Reality Leader, and the digital marketing head at Rethink Plastic Organization, Inc. She graduated in 2019 with a degree in Biology with Concentration in Environmental Science from De La Salle University-Dasmarinas.
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