Behind every arrest, wildlife rescue or seizure, is a quiet hero working behind the scenes. We salute the remarkable dedication and commitment of these countless wildlife defenders. We hope their stories inspire others to join this fight, to make the world safer for wildlife and people.
Kanitha Krishnasamy, TRAFFIC Southeast Asia Director
United States Department of State Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs
2ND WiSE Awards 2026
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The awarding ceremony held on 29 July 2026 in Quezon City recognized 5 winners from among the gamut of people and agencies who modernised procedures and built systems, communities and networks that scaled up crime-fighting in the Philippines within 2024 – 2025. This year, 11 individuals and government units were nominated for the fight against wildlife crime, up from eight nominees in the inaugural WiSe Awards in 2024.
PANEL OF JUDGES
Dr. Roger Dolorosa – Professor, Western Philippines University
Atty. Dante Gatmaytan - Professor at the University of the Philippines College of Law
Kanitha Krishnasamy - Director, TRAFFIC International Southeast Asia
Dr. Theresa Mundita Lim - Executive Director, Environmental Studies Institute, Miriam College
The winners were determined through a rigorous and independent judging process conducted by a Panel of four distinguished experts from the environmental arena. Each entry was evaluated objectively against the pre-defined assessment criteria established for each theme, and based on the evidence and information provided within the nominations.
WiSe judges and special guests pose for a photo with Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte. (from left to right): Dr. Roger Dolorosa, Professor, Western Philippines University; Precious Bernardo, Program Management Specialist, International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, US Embassy Manila; Kanitha Krishnasamy, Director for TRAFFIC International Southeast Asia; Maria Josefina Tanya "Joy" G. Belmonte, Mayor of Quezon City; Serene Chng, Programme Manager of TRAFFIC International Southeast Asia; and Maximo C. Sta. Maria III, Postmaster General and Chief Executive Officer of the Philippine Postal Corporation
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THIS YEAR’S WILDLIFE SENTINELS (2026)
Innovation
PMAJ Arnel Clase Anino
Acting Assistant Chief, Regional Maritime Unit – Negros Island Region, Philippine National Police Maritime Group
Strengthened maritime wildlife enforcement by building strong partnerships with government agencies, fisherfolk organizations, coastal communities, and media partners. Through community engagement initiatives such as BRIDGEgadahan sa Mactan and sustained public awareness efforts, he expanded intelligence gathering, encouraged the reporting of wildlife crimes, supported wildlife rescue operations, and increased public participation in protecting the country's coastal and marine wildlife.
PMAJ Anino (middle) holding his WiSe medal conferred by PCOL Fernando Cunanan Jr. (left), 1st WiSe Winner for Innovation, and Dr. Theresa Mundita Lim (right)
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Impact
Philippine National Police – Maritime Group (PNP-MG)
Led sustained nationwide wildlife law enforcement through a whole-of-force approach that combined maritime patrols, cyber intelligence, and coordinated field operations across the country. From 2024 to 2025, the unit conducted 4,414 operations, arrested 731 wildlife offenders, filed 627 criminal cases, and rescued 4,364 wildlife specimens, significantly strengthening the Philippines' frontline response against illegal wildlife trade.
Philippine National Police - Maritime Group represented by Police Brigadier General Crisaleo Roleda Tolentino, delivering his speech after receiving the award
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Leadership
Philippine National Police – Maritime Group (PNP-MG)
Demonstrated national leadership in wildlife protection by mobilizing Regional Maritime Units and Special Operations Units to combat illegal wildlife trade through surveillance, cyber-enabled investigations, interdiction operations, and coordinated enforcement. Beyond enforcement, the unit strengthened wildlife rescue, public awareness, and partnerships with the DENR, reinforcing its role as a leading force in protecting Philippine wildlife nationwide.
Philippine National Police - Maritime Group represented by Police Brigadier General Crisaleo Roleda Tolentino (middle), beside the PNP-MG representative (left), 1st WiSe winner for impact, and TRAFFIC Director Kanitha Krishnasamy (right)
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COLLABORATION
DENR National Capital Region – Enforcement Division
Strengthened wildlife law enforcement by building strategic partnerships with agencies including the Department of Justice, Philippine National Police, Bureau of Customs, Bureau of Plant Industry, and other government partners. Through sustained coordination, prosecution-led investigations, and the deputation of Wildlife Enforcement Officers from multiple agencies, the Division enhanced intelligence sharing, case development, and coordinated enforcement against wildlife crime in one of the country's busiest transport hubs.
Maricar Puno Sanchez (left), Chief of Enforcement Division - DENR NCR, receiving the award from the representative of the Wildlife Resources Division - DENR BMB (middle), 1st WiSe Winner of Collaboration, and Dr. Roger Dolorosa (right)
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INTEGRITY
DENR CARAGA – Enforcement Division
Demonstrated integrity and persistence through sustained intelligence-led enforcement against repeat wildlife offenders. Following the conviction of illegal wildlife traders, the Division continued surveillance and case development, leading to the successful re-arrest of the offenders, the seizure of 201 Philippine pit vipers and wildlife derivatives, and the recovery of a total of 342 endemic pit vipers across successive enforcement operations through strong inter-agency coordination and evidence-based investigations.
Juliebee Cabarles (middle), Chief of Enforcement Division - DENR CARAGA, receiving the award from Jewel Padullon (left), 1st WiSe Winner of Integrity, and Serene Chng (right)
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The Wildlife sentinel medal
A stylised symbol of the Award and icon of the country’s rich biodiversity, the Philippine Pangolin; one among several endemic and Critically Endangered species threatened by illegal trade.
The Fight against Wildlife Crime in the Philippines: Launch of WiSe
FROM enforcers to FIRST sentinels for wildlife
Contact Us
For queries and clarification, please contact the Secretariat:
Myka Allam, Program Officer, TRAFFIC Southeast Asia:
Project taking charge
WiSe is developed under the project Taking Charge: Strengthening Criminal Justice Response to Wildlife Crime – a two-year project aimed at strengthening Philippine law enforcement agencies’ capacity to tackle wildlife crime. TRAFFIC’s strategy focuses on capacity building with enforcement agency staff at key intervention points: channels for the movement and sale of illegal wildlife in the Philippines under four objectives. Learn more about the project.
Supported by the US INL
Taking Charge is funded by the United States Department of State Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs. The opinions, finds and conclusions stated herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the United States Department of State.
About TRAFFIC
TRAFFIC is a leading non-governmental organisation working to ensure that trade in wild species is legal and sustainable, for the benefit of the planet and people. TRAFFIC has been working in Southeast Asia since 1991 and in the Philippines since 2016.
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