Dear Earthjustice Action,

We are a match! I have been preparing for the position of Communications Associate, Earthjustice Action for the last 10 years. 

Here is my origin story. In 2012, I finished my volunteer service with the US Peace Corps, Moldova. Slow travel on my return trip home brought me through a 3-week stay in the Croatian Dalmatians where I solidified that the Western style of travel in pristine locations is leading to exponential degradation of local waterways and landscapes. 

Upon returning home, I was able to find an internship in Malaysia with a startup that focuses on “regenerative tourism” as their model for operation. I traveled to Malaysia for the tourism season and returned home during the monsoon season to find work and fund the next year; I repeated this for 2 more years. The back and forth was unsustainable. In those two years, I taught myself graphic design and website development in hopes to be the digital nomad that was sold as the solution to all my problems. I found small jobs on my travels and was able to fund two seasons working independently with the local indigenous Cuyonon on the northern Palawan coast in the Philippines. We were working to develop cultural tourism to divert traffic away from “ecotourism” that seemed all too similar to the type of degradation that I had seen in Croatia and Malaysia.

Covid hit and everything stopped. Since then, I put everything on pause. I knew I would be home indefinitely, so it seemed like a good reason to find a more stable income. However, I could not let go of the feeling that I would be settling for a job that did not align with my values simply because I needed income, so I held off from finding permanent positions unless it was with an organization that I felt shared the same values as I did. I only follow the career pages of Patagonia, Surfrider and two others: the Sierra Club and Earthjustice.

Gratitude. Thank you for all the work that you continue to do. I hope that my application finds you well. Vice President Harris for President! “We are not going back!!!”

Sincerely, 

Raymond Gotauco

Dear Friend,

This next week is critical for the future of the Earth and the generations of people that will enjoy its beauty. This November, we have the opportunity to work together and ensure a lasting outlook of leaving a legacy for the benefit of this land.

Earthjustice Action is the legal voice for the Earth. As part of our community, together we will raise awareness through grassroots activities and education that promote inclusion and diversity to the people and ecosystems that we serve. We need you now. A simple vote can truly change the course of history.

Now more than ever, we need you to unite with us and create a single voice that is heard in the homes of millions of voters. Your single action of voting for Vice President Kamala Harris for President will help to ensure that the Earth has the best opportunity to heal itself and co exist with us for generations to come.

You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and X for real-time updates and ways to take action.

Thank you so much for being part of this journey with us.

Communications Associate

Earthjustice Action

Finding Red in the Green: The Ethnocide of Indigenous Culture Found in the Wake of Ecotourism: the First “Greenwash”

The Landscape. Largely lauded as the future of tourism, ecotourism has gained in strength and popularity since Costa Rica had been rebranded as the quintessential ecotourism destination in the early 2000’s. Currently, tourism consists of 5% of Costa Rica’s GDP and many countries and locations have been quickly adapting their own tourism practices to lay claim to the moniker of “ecotourism,” but for how long and at what cost?

With a 2024 global tourism market share of approximately 250 billion USD, it is no wonder that many tourism destinations are trying to break into the ecotourism market. But most of these nations and their smaller divisions have been following the money and attempting to cater to the recent influx of western travelers. In its wake, the Indigenous People of those territories have been losing the strength of their culture: their people. 

The Problem. From personal accounts and primary stories retold, the next generation of the indigenous population in countries like the Philippines have shifted their focus to becoming tourism staff and guides. With this shift comes the emphasis on Western practices – more specifically English, fashion and pop culture. In very little time, indigenous populations have shied away from the speaking of indigenous languages and dialects. They are seen as inferior and useless.

Indigenous music and dance are viewed as activities for the elders during annual festivals or celebrations. The costumes are archaic. The music is folky. The dances are boring. Every year a large portion of graduating college age students leave their local villages for more lucrative opportunities in the larger towns and economic centers. 

In less than a generation, nearly a hundred indigenous languages throughout the world will be lost. In that same span, nearly three hundred dialects will never be spoken. Cultural dances, religious practices, healing practitioners and numerous other intangible cultural artifacts will be lost in the fading oral tradition and daily practice. We will be losing the critical element that makes our world operate successfully as an ecosystem: diversity. 

A Solution. We must create a tourism market that showcases indigenous peoples and their culture. We need to create a market that celebrates the cultural differences and practices that the indigenous communities bring to the texture of travel and adventure.

It can start small. We can frequent resorts that cooperate with the local communities for experiences like dance or art.  Local tourism boards can market hiking trails or farming workshops with locals. Even something as simple as a language leaflet for greetings or labeling items can bring to light that there is a world under which the Western amenities and developments lie. If we, in the West, are part of the problem, then we can be part of the solution.

RAYMOND GOTAUCO

714.290.0092  |  raymondgotauco@gmail.com  |  5171 Fox Hills Ave., Buena Park CA 90621

Enthusiastic team player with experience in creating engaging visual and written content. Emphasis on teamwork across platforms in formatting and classifying elements to suit the variety of requirements in digital and printed strategies.

SKILLS

Professional

Brand Maintenance | Blog Writing | SEO | Editing & Proofreading | Social Media Mgmt.

Technical

Vector Graphics | Print Layout | WordPress | Website Builders | Canva | Microsoft Suite

Soft

Problem Solving | Collaboration | Agility | Accessible Vernacular | Sense of Humor

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Freelance Brand Manager

Self – Employed  |  Remote

January 2016 – Current

Brand Development and Brand Manager

SA+C Inc. |  Mill Valley, CA

October 2021 – November 2022

English Educator

US Peace Corps |  Republic of Moldova

June 2010 – August 2012

EDUCATION

BA Communications – Communicative Disorders

CSU Fullerton | Class of 2009

BA English – Literature and Composition

Cal Poly Pomona | Class of 2006