Historic Milestone: First Filipino Inducted as Fellow of Renowned Explorers Club

Pinoy explorer Gregg Yan has become the first Filipino to be inducted as a Fellow of The Explorers Club, breaking a century-old barrier for Philippine representation in global exploration.

Founded in New York City in 1904, The Explorers Club is a professional society dedicated to field research and scientific discovery. Its members have famously trail-blazed some of humanity’s greatest frontiers – including the first expeditions to the North and South Poles, the summit of Mount Everest and the surface of the moon. Yan joins an international roster that includes icons like Neil Armstrong, Jane Goodall and Sir Edmund Hillary.

Yan says the induction is a long-overdue victory for the local exploration community.

“For over a century, the mainstream narrative of global exploration has largely been viewed through a Western lens,” Yan says. “Being inducted as the first Filipino Fellow is a deeply humbling experience, securing our country a seat at the table. The Philippines hosts some of the world’s most amazing but endangered biodiversity, but we’re also a hotspot for species loss. This recognition proves that local exploration and field research really is important to the global scientific community.”

He notes that long before modern expedition societies existed, the spirit of discovery was already defining life in the Philippine archipelago.

“Pinoys are natural-born explorers. Our ancestors arrived across these islands aboard Balanghays – ancient, seafaring wooden boats that crossed open oceans using only the stars and wind to navigate. Exploration is in our DNA, in our blood. We have renowned Pinoy and Pinay divers, mountain climbers and scientists. This fellowship simply brings our natural curiosity as explorers full circle on an international stage.”

Yan’s election to the Fellowship follows 20 years of rigorous fieldwork focused on photographing and writing about the world’s most endangered animals – from sharks and elephants to Filipino icons like the tamaraw and pangolin, all the way to undiscovered species like the Người Rừng of Vietnam. A scientific researcher with numerous published journal articles, Yan is also the first Filipino to be inducted as an honorary Maasai warrior in Africa.

Qualifying for membership in The Explorers Club requires documented scientific contributions, extreme physical endurance and a track record for habitat and cultural conservation. For the club, Fellow is the highest and most prestigious of five member categories.

Looking ahead, Yan hopes to use the global platform to champion homegrown talent.

“This would never have been possible without the support of renowned global explorers Arnaud Humbert and Dr. Brent Stewart, international organizations like the United Nations and World Wide Fund for Nature, plus the local communities who instinctively know more about their home forests and coasts then we can ever dream of,” says Yan.

“I may be the first Filipino Fellow, but my main goal now is to ensure that I won’t be the last. The Philippines is home to a brilliant new generation of field explorers. It’s time na makita ng international community kung ano talaga ang kayang gawin ng Pinoy!”