Following his well-received performance at the recently concluded PlayBack Music Festival at Circuit Makati, American musician Rockwell Ryan Ripperger of acoustic pop band Stephen Speaks has decided to go around the Philippines to do more shows and also to pursue his advocacy of “saving the reef.”
While he is best known to Filipino fans for the big hits “Passenger Seat” and “Out of My League,” not too many are aware that Ripperger is also a self-proclaimed “expert” on reefs, those jagged bar of rock, coral or sand that lies beneath the surface of the sea.
“The Philippines has been so good to me, and supported my music for 15-plus years… and this is my gift back… you need your reefs restored, and I happen to be an expert at that. I spend more time on my reef tank than I do writing music. I know how to do this,” he declared in an initial Facebook post last February 7.
Ripperger revealed that he already has the support of the provincial administration of Iloilo to start a reef rehabilitation project he calls, well, Stephen’s Reef.
“I’m going to have my own reef on a protected beach. and they’re going to document the entire project and use it as educational training to teach the islanders how to also do the same. Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) destroyed 90 percent of the reef and it needs our help to rebuild. The marine biologist I met with was very surprised when a musician from Oklahoma knew the scientific names of all their corals… and that I have most of these in my own house already propagating,” he shared.
Ripperger said he intends to put some of his own money in the rehabilitation project even as he also hopes to find some donors.
“The gov[ernment] is going to match me for investment, and grant me access to the necessary recources. Who knows where it will go from there? I don’t just talk about this… I’m putting my money where my mouth is and I am going to invest in the future of the island, the people, and the earth,” he further enthused.
Since his first post about reef rehabilitation project, Ripperger has gotten tremendous support for his advocacy.
“Between meetings with local fisherman, government authorities, lawyer, accountant, and of course expert divers and Biologists, the Stephen Speaks Foundation for restoring coral reefs here in the Philippines has already grown bigger than just my own dreams… it has already created a hype and awareness to the value of the reefs,” he wrote in a newer post last February 15.
[W]hile I love making music and I am excited to finish my new album and plan another tour… this is what I am most excited about. It is good. It is good for everyone. No one loses in what we are all collaborating to accomplish here. The entire world wins if we are successful in our endeavors.”
Following his stint in the PlayBack festival, Ripperger went on to perform at Camp Fort Bonifacio in Taguig last Saturday, February 17. He later shared the experience of meeting and performing for the wounded survivors of the now infamous Marawi siege.
“These soldiers are REAL rockstars. Hats off to your victory in Marawi…I know there is a lot more to do, and I will continue to support you in any way I can. I have so much respect for all of you,” he posted.
Ripperger will have more time to go around the Philippines as Stephen Speaks is slated to perform on February 23, Friday at El Pueblo Real de Manila in Pasig City and on February 25 at Ayala Center in Cebu as part of his continuing Philippine tour.