Gerry Ortega
| Gerardo Valeriano "Doc Gerry" Ortega, DVM |
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| Project Director of Bantay Kalikasan-Palawan |
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In office 2004–2011 |
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| Member of the Provincial Board of Palawan |
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In office 2001–2004 |
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| Director of the Crocodile Farming Institute |
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In office 1989–2001 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
August 28, 1963 Palawan |
| Died | 24 January 2011 (aged 47) Barangay San Pedro, Puerto Princesa, Palawan |
| Nationality | Filipino |
| Spouse(s) | Patria Gloria "Patty" Innocencio - Ortega |
| Relations | Rafael “Totoy" Ortega (Father, deceased) |
| Children | Five |
| Alma mater | Gregorio Araneta University Foundation |
| Occupation | Environmental Activist, Journalist, former Politician |
| Profession | Doctor of Veterinary Medicine |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
Gerardo Valeriano Ortega DVM (August 28, 1963 – January 24, 2011), better known simply as "Doc Gerry" or "Ka Gerry", was a Filipino journalist, veterinarian, politician, environmental activist, and community organizer best known for his work to promote crocodile farming in the Philippines, and for his advocacy against mining on the island of Palawan. Ortega has often been lauded as a hero of the Philippine Environment since he was assassinated on January 24, 2011, allegedly due to his anti-mining advocacy.
Doc Gerry was born on August 28, 1963, the son of Rafael “Totoy" Ortega, who was the Municipal Mayor of Aborlan, in the island province of Palawan. He earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the Gregorio Araneta University Foundation near Manila. In 1988 he married Patria Gloria "Patty" Innocencio in a church wedding in Bulacan. They later had five children. The eldest, Mika Ortega, worked as an Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) Officer of ABS-CBN Foundation's Kapit Bisig para sa Ilog Pasig.
Ortega was a devout Roman Catholic and was one of the local leaders of the Catholic group, Couples for Christ, in Palawan.
In 1988 Ortega began working at the Crocodile Farming Institute (since renamed the Palawan Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Center but still known widely and referred to below as the Crocodile Farm or CFI) in Irawan, Puerto Princesa, Palawan. In 1989, he became the institute's director.
At the time, many thought the Crocodile Farm project, which was run by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and Funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency, would never succeed. But Ortega and his team made it not only viable but globally known. Ortega and his team at the CFI also received considerable media attention caught the largest saltwater crocodile in the country.
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Wikipedia