One Meralco Foundation (OMF), the corporate social responsibility arm of Meralco, partnered with water concessionaire Maynilad Water Services, Inc. to reinforce and strengthen reforestation initiatives for the Angat-Ipo watershed, a primary source of raw water in Manila.
Through its environmental sustainability program One For Trees, OMF provided a grant to support the reforestation of the watershed that is home to some 10,000 native trees. This initiative also involves nurturing and maintaining the 25-hectare area in the watershed.
OMF has been implementing the One for Trees program since 2019 as part of its efforts to emphasize the need for multi-dimensional sustainable solutions for the reforestation and protection of forests in the Philippines by also enabling economic and social development for people and communities.
The program, through the help of OMF’s community partners, now covers 2.1 million trees in San Miguel and Norzagaray, Bulacan; Siniloan, Laguna; Kalibo and Ibajay, Aklan; Province of Bohol; Butuan; Agusan del Norte; and Pangantucan, Bukidnon. It also covers the reforestation programs of Meralco PowerGen in power plant areas in Cebu and Iloilo.
One For Trees also aligns with Maynilad’s Plant for Life program, which was launched in 2007 to undertake reforestation activities for critical watersheds that provide the water requirements of consumers.
“While expanding our tree planting efforts to different parts of the country to respond to specific environmental objectives in the area, we equally recognize that the same program must contribute to the economic and social well-being of the same community that oversees One For Trees. We envisioned the program not only to be a nature-based solution, but also one that is community-inclusive. By giving community members the capacity to plant more trees, nurture them and build nurseries, the program consequently provides regular livelihood to them,” said OMF President Jeffrey O. Tarayao.
“Reforestation is crucial to promoting carbon sequestration, which can help to reduce global climate change. With the help of our ‘Plant for Life’ partners and the volunteers who sign up for this annual activity, we can cover more areas and contribute greatly to environmental conservation,” Maynilad President and CEO Ramoncito Fernandez, for his part, said.