The Mount Apo Foundation, Inc. (MAFI) mourns the untimely passing of its Board Treasurer and Regional Executive Director (RED) of DENR Region 9 in Zamboanga City, Datu Tungko M. Saikol. He succumbed to cardiac arrest on February 27, 2022.
Datu Saikol has been admired for dedicating his life to protecting the environment. Prior to his post as DENR Region 9’s RED, he was the former Director of the Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB) at DENR Central Office in 2021.
Datu Saikol has been a member of the MAFI’s Board of Trustees since 2013. He was appointed as Board Treasurer in 2017. He has lived a life of kindness, humility, integrity, and competence – qualities that would make his colleagues and friends to miss him dearly.
To honor his contribution to the governance system of the Foundation, the MAFI Board executed a resolution on March 1, 2022 (Resolution No. 1, Series of 2022) expressing its deep sadness over his untimely death and conveying its heartfelt sympathies and condolences to his loved ones. The board resolution further recognizes and appreciates Datu Saikol’s unwavering commitment for the protection of the environment in the country, and for which, the Board decides to bestow upon him a Posthumous Plaque of Appreciation to be received by his family.
To our beloved and highly respected Sultan Tungko M. Saikol: Your kindness and memories will remain in our hearts, and your environmental and sustainable development legacies will live a lifetime. We will miss you, Datu, dearly. Have a peaceful rest in the place of our Creator.
