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As a licensed teacher, mother and Indigenous youth leader, Kristel Quierrez, often known by her Indigenous name Boniknik, offers a wealth of knowledge and love in her community.

Quierrez is from the town of Maksa, Quezon, on the Philippine island of Luzon. There, she leads campaigns to defend and represent the ancestral domain of the Agta Indigenous people, also known as the Dumagat-Remontado.

As just the third person in her community (after her mother and sister) to graduate from university, she is now using her teaching degree to preserve Agta culture in classrooms and beyond.

“As a native youth, it is my duty to carry on the stories and knowledge passed down from our ancestors so they are not lost amidst modernization.”

“It is also important to join and stand with global environmental conservation efforts. I align myself with goals that promote sustainable development and actions to address the changing climate, always from the perspective and experience of Indigenous communities.”

Quierrez is deeply committed to safeguarding the environment and her community’s rich heritage. This commitment led her to co-found the first indigenous youth organization in her landscape, Katutubong Kabataang Umuugat sa Kabundukan ng Sierra Madre (UGBON). 

UGBON is rooted in several ancestral domains within the southern Sierra Madre, the longest mountain range in the Philippines. Its mission is to encourage Indigenous youth advocates to preserve their ecosystem and cultures through activities such as planting native trees, managing plant nurseries and engaging with Indigenous knowledge, systems, practices and spirituality.

Quierrez was one of seven GLF Restoration Stewards in 2025 and was featured in Vogue Philippines for her restoration work.