West Zone concessionaire Maynilad Water Services, Inc. (Maynilad) pledged to plant 34,000 trees and mangroves over 34 hectares of critical watersheds this year, as part of its annual “Plant for Life” Program.
The program is part of Maynilad’s continuing effort to reforest the Ipo Watershed and other watersheds within the West Zone, which will help prevent calamities such as land erosion and flooding, and protect water quality in the dams that supply the water needs of Metro Manila.
This year, Maynilad adopted 30 hectares in Mt. Balagbag, Rizal, which is one of the most heavily deforested areas of the Ipo Watershed.
Since the program’s inception in 2007, Maynilad has planted almost 800,000 trees in the Ipo Watershed covering an area of 341 hectares. The water company has also expanded reforestation activities to include watersheds in Malabon and Muntinlupa, and the planting of mangroves in Laguna Lake and the coastal areas of Manila Bay.
“One way to ensure the sustainability of our limited water resources is to plant trees in vital watersheds. Planting trees prevents the soil erosion that could affect the quality of raw water, and also offers a long-term solution to the cycle of flooding during the rainy season,” said Maynilad President and CEO Ramoncito S. Fernandez.
Maynilad is the largest private water concessionaire in the Philippines in terms of customer base. It is the agent and contractor of the MWSS for the West Zone of the Greater Manila Area, which is composed of the cities of Manila (certain portions), Quezon City (certain portions), Makati (west of South Super Highway), Caloocan, Pasay, Parañaque, Las Piñas, Muntinlupa, Valenzuela, Navotas and Malabon all in Metro Manila; the cities of Cavite, Bacoor and Imus, and the towns of Kawit, Noveleta and Rosario, all in Cavite Province. (Press Release/Maynilad)