A new water beetle species was discovered and named after Angat Buhay, the poverty reduction program launched by the Office of the Vice President during former Vice President Leni Robredo’s time in office that was turned into a non-governmental organization when she stepped down.
The beetle, named Anacaena angatbuhay, was discovered in the northern province of Ifugao by biology student Enrico Gerard Sanchez, thesis adviser Dr. Emmanuel Delocado, and co-adviser Prof. Dr. Hendrik Freitag from the Ateneo Biodiversity Research Laboratory under the Ateneo de Manila University’s biology department.
The publication was part of Sanchez’s undergraduate thesis. He carried out the research for it during the pandemic using an innovative lab-at-home system, the university website said.
“The authors said the species is named to honor the program’s outstanding and unparalleled service, especially during the pandemic… the species’ name is a nod to the countless Filipinos working for and with far-flung communities whose efforts were not widely recognized,” Ateneo’s website read.
On July 1, Robredo officially launched the Angat Buhay Foundation as a non-profit, registered under the name Angat Pinas Inc., to continue the work of the programs she established under the Office of the Vice President (OVP).
It is reportedly set to become the largest volunteer network in the country, leveraging the huge number of volunteers and supporters she amassed as part of the “pink movement” during the May 2022 presidential campaign.
READ: It’s official: Former VP Robredo launches non-profit Angat Buhay
