In the verdant landscapes of Mindoro, Philippines, where mountains meet the sea, the struggle to protect the environment is often waged not only with placards and protests, but with prayer, science, and a deep commitment to moderation.
At the heart of this quiet yet persistent struggle stands Evelyn Cacha, whose life at 79 bears witness to a profound conviction: how humanity treats the body is inseparable from how it treats the earth.
Recognized nationally as one of the “Eight Filipina Environmentalists” and a former chairperson of Alyansa Laban sa Mina (ALAMIN), Cacha has devoted decades to safeguarding Mindoro’s ancestral lands and natural resources from the threats posed by large-scale mining. For her, advocacy is not a separate sphere of life—it is an extension of the kitchen, the clinic, and the chapel.
The Foundations of a Guardian
Cacha’s journey did not follow a straight path. She often describes her younger self as a “grasshopper,” leaping across seemingly unrelated roles—from food merchandising specialist to dietitian in the United States, and later as a market research interviewer.
Yet the seeds of activism were planted early, during her years at the University of the Philippines, amid what she describes as the “ferment of the times.” While many chose to remain on the sidelines, Evelyn found herself in the streets, protesting the Vietnam War and questioning systems that exploited both people and the planet.
That independent spirit eventually led her back to Mindoro, where she was “roped in” to her first local environmental struggle: resisting the logging of community trees. What began as a single issue soon evolved into a lifelong mission.
Under her leadership in the early 2000s, ALAMIN emerged as a leading voice against mining-related destruction, working to protect the land, water, and livelihoods of the Mindoreños.
The Science of Katamtaman
As a nutrition professional, Cacha bridges the worlds of biochemistry and community care. For her, the Filipino value of katamtaman—moderation—is the guiding principle for both personal health and planetary survival. “Food comes from nature—plants, sun, soil,” she explains.
She believes that when food systems become overly commercialized and detached from natural cycles, both human bodies and local economies suffer. In her view, excess inevitably leads to waste, mirroring the greed of extractive industries that consume far more than the earth can replenish.
While her background in clinical nutrition—grounded in institutions such as Harvard University and the American Dietetic Association—helps her understand what happens at the molecular level, her faith reminds her why it matters to the person sitting across from her.
“Not everything that tastes good needs to be consumed,” she often says.
For Cacha, restraint is not deprivation but a moral choice—one that honors the body as a gift and ensures there is enough for the “less blessed.”
A Life Well Lived
Cacha’s inclusion in the Philippine Daily Inquirer’s “Shakers and Movers” is a recognition of her public impact, but her truest legacy lies elsewhere: in the groundwater she helped protect, the cooperatives she strengthened, and the individuals she guided toward longer, healthier lives.
Her message to the next generation is a simple call to stewardship: care for the environment, eat with gratitude, and leave the world kinder than you found it.
As she approaches eight decades of service, Evelyn Cacha remains, in many ways, a “grasshopper” at heart—curious, mobile, and always ready to leap toward the next person, place, or cause in need of a guardian.
