Charms Espina, an Icons of Change from the Philippines

Icons of Change

Icons of Change International Awards 2025  Charms W. Espina Senior News Anchor | PTV News Tonight (PTV-4, Philippines) Host | Voice of America (VOA) – Stories from the Grid & The Global Roundup Founder | Pawcible Animal Rescue & Rehabilitation Initiative  SDG Focus: Sustainable Development Goal 16 – Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions Changemaker for Public Trust, Ethical Journalism, and Community Advocacy (Philippines)  Few journalists today embody the breadth, resilience, and public-service ethos required of modern media as powerfully as Charms W. Espina. A seasoned broadcast journalist with over 12 years of frontline experience, Charms has built a distinguished career on the pillars of credibility, compassion, and an unwavering commitment to informing and empowering citizens.  As the Senior News Anchor of PTV News Tonight, the flagship English newscast of the Philippines’ state broadcaster PTV-4, Charms delivers fair, engaging, and high-quality reporting to national and global audiences. Her storytelling range is exceptional—capable of shifting seamlessly from high-stakes breaking news to in-depth analyses, election coverage, humanitarian features, disaster reportage, and presidential events. Whether on-ground or on-air, she stands as a trusted voice during moments that test public confidence and national stability.  Her influence extends across international platforms through her work with the Voice of America (VOA), where she hosts Stories from the Grid, a documentary program spotlighting narratives of resilience, innovation, and community impact. She also anchors The Global Roundup, a weekly update program bridging local audiences with global developments, and conducts in-depth conversations with thought leaders on her PTV segment Interface. Across all formats, Charms demonstrates mastery of multiple media disciplines—FM and AM radio, live interviews, digital content, lifestyle storytelling, and major event coverage.  Charms’ work reflects the values of SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions, particularly through her role in strengthening public trust in state media. Her commitment to accuracy, transparency, and ethical storytelling reinforces the crucial role of responsible journalism in democratic societies.  Her contributions outside the newsroom are equally compelling. As a licensed environmental planner and trained advocate under Al Gore’s Climate Reality Leadership Corps, Charms champions climate resilience, community education, and local empowerment. She communicates climate urgency with clarity and empathy—mobilizing citizens, youth, and grassroots leaders toward low-carbon, future-ready solutions.  A lifelong animal welfare advocate, Charms has spent more than two decades rescuing and rehabilitating abandoned and mistreated animals. She founded Pawcible, a privately funded shelter soon to become a full-fledged foundation, providing a safe haven for animals and advocating for responsible pet ownership.

Transcript

00:01Hi everyone! Thank you so much the 2025 Icons of Change International Awards for this incredible

00:08honor. It is deeply humbling to be named the changemaker among so many inspiring individuals.

00:16Before anything else though, let me ask all of you two simple questions. The first,

00:23if the earth could file a complaint against us, do you think we'd win that case? And the

00:29second would be, if the planet were a patient, would our environmental policies right now be

00:36considered treatment or neglect? First of all, my name is Sharm Zespina. As a media professional

00:43and lifelong advocate for the planet and animals, I wear many hats. And through my work in public

00:53broadcasting, as a senior broadcaster with a Philippine state-run network or PTV4, people's

00:59television, I am entrusted with helping shape our national discourse, not only on governance

01:06and public affairs, but also on sustainability and our shared and urgent responsibility to

01:11protect earth. Media shapes what people understand, what they care about, and ultimately what we

01:19demand from our leaders. That's why responsible journalism is essential to nation building.

01:26As an environmental planner, I help shape the spaces where people and nature meet, ensuring

01:33that progress does not come at the cost of the living world around us. I'm also an animal rights

01:40advocate and on weekends and sometimes at 2 a.m. an animal rescuer. I've pulled dogs out of floodwaters,

01:49turtles out of plastic, and once a very angry cat out of my car engine, just to name a few

01:55interesting instances. This year's United Nations theme, the International Year of Peace and Trust

02:02resonates deeply with me because peace isn't only the absence of conflict between humans, it's peace

02:09for every living being in our forests, in our oceans, in our skies, and trust. Trust is what people

02:18place in us when we work in media and public service. In my work, I remain fully committed

02:23to the sustainable development goals, especially those that intersect with my advocacies. SDG 13,

02:29climate action, SDG 15, life on land, 14, life below water, and 12, responsible consumption and production.

02:39Being recognized here as a change maker feels like a recognition not just of personal efforts,

02:46but of the many small, often unseen actions carried out by other people, media workers, rescuers,

02:54policy makers, volunteers, and ordinary people who simply care. Together, we are building bridges

03:02between humans and animals, between development and conservation, and between hope and action.

03:07I stand here not for myself, but for those who choose compassion over convenience. After all,

03:15change does not always arrive in grand speeches or global summits. Sometimes it arrives in small,

03:23simple acts, a rescue, a policy draft, a decision changed, or perhaps a story broadcast at just the

03:32right moment. To the organizers of the 2025 Icons of Change Awards, thank you for giving a platform to

03:39those who believe that healing the planet is not impossible, it's actually non-negotiable. And to my

03:46fellow awardees, you give me so much hope. And to all of you here, I leave you with this thought.

03:53History will judge our generation not by the wars we ended, but by the world we left behind. So I ask you

04:02all tonight, what legacy are you building? From the bottom of my heart, thank you so much for this great honor.

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