The tree planting activity brought together over 200 partners from leading corporations and industries, having planted a total of 1,500 seedlings to help reforest the Sierra Madre, the Philippines’ largest mountain range. 

The Sierra Madre mountain range plays a crucial role in the country’s biodiversity and ecology and is also known for its rich flora and fauna as well as its significance in protecting against typhoons and other natural disasters. 

MPower, along with One Meralco Foundation (OMF) and its partners, already planted more than 13,000 native trees since the program’s launch in 2015. 

“We are deeply committed to promoting environmental sustainability not only through the provision of renewable energy but also through the way we give back to our communities. This program,  together with our partner companies and One Meralco Foundation will make a meaningful contribution to reforestation efforts and environmental sustainability,” MPower Senior Assistance Vice President and Retail Sales Head Eddie John V. Adug said. 

The trees planted during the activity will boost support for OMF’s One for Trees environmental campaign which aims to rehabilitate threatened ecosystems through reforestation. Initiated in 2019,  One for Trees has nurtured over 2.3 million trees through its active partnerships with various organizations and local government units across the country.

MPower and OMF signed a Deed of Donation amounting to Php 1.5 million for the provision of printing equipment, hygiene supplies, reusable water bottles, and school kits to seven (7) selected schools in Metro Manila, Rizal, Laguna, Pampanga, and Zambales, benefiting over 15,000 elementary students. 

The two units have been working together since 2015 on the annual back-to-school program. Along with other partners, MPower and OMF have conducted school electrification programs in off-grid locations, built nine (9) kinder classrooms, and conducted back-to-school programs. The recent concerted effort brings MPower’s cumulative donations for the program to Php14.1 million, including contributions from its donor partners over the past eight years. 

The latest collaboration also covered funding for CommuniTrees, MPower’s community tree planting program, which has been in partnership since 2015 with OMF’s One For Trees program. To date, MPower has successfully planted 12,853 trees in various sites in Luzon, including the 1,000 native seedlings that were planted in Laguna in April 2023.  

MPower First Vice President and Head Redel M. Domingo underscored that their collaboration with OMF is rooted in their shared pursuit of building a more sustainable and brighter future for Filipinos. 

“MPower has always looked for opportunities to give back to our communities. Teaming up with OMF has allowed us to make meaningful partnerships with our customers which have achieved synergistic outcomes that benefit schools, communities, and the environment. We thank OMF for being an avenue for us to engage in endeavors that go beyond business,” Mr. Domingo said. 

For his part, OMF President and Meralco Chief Corporate Social Responsibility Officer Jeffrey O. Tarayao recognized the transformative impact of their collaboration with MPower on the Kinder Classroom Project, which has benefited over 4,000 students from five (5) school beneficiaries in Malabon, Bulacan, Laguna, and Cavite from 2015 to 2019. 

“One Meralco Foundation’s partnership with MPower continues to grow and prosper as we aspire to reach more communities and put a bigger investment in the future of young Filipinos. We hope that these will translate to inclusive growth and build a brighter future for young Filipinos,” Mr. Tarayao said.  

Meralco Senior Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer Ferdinand O. Geluz, who also sits as a Trustee of OMF, emphasized that Meralco is committed to serve its communities. 

“Ensuring the education of the youth and preserving the environment are key initiatives aligned with Meralco’s vision to empower people and communities today to shape a future that we can all thrive in. We yearn to witness the ripple effect that these collective efforts will have on our communities and our country,” Geluz concluded.