Aboitiz Foundation and GCash have started a five-year forest restoration project in Balamban, Cebu that aims to plant and grow one million trees across 1,200 hectares of forest and coastal areas.
More than 3,000 volunteers joined the first major on-ground activity of the CarbonPH and GCash GForest partnership, marking the rollout of the project in Balamban.
Aboitiz Foundation President Ginggay Hontiveros-Malvar said the project goes beyond a one-time tree-planting activity and intended to support long-term ecosystem restoration and community development.
“What we are starting in Balamban is not a one-day planting activity. It is the beginning of years of work with communities to restore forests, protect water sources and create livelihoods that can endure,” Hontiveros-Malvar said.
Meanwhile, Mynt head of corporate sustainability and communications Michelle Fernandez said the partnership connects the digital participation of GCash users with environmental projects on the ground.
“GCash GForest was designed to make climate action accessible in everyday life. What this partnership does is connect that participation to something people can see taking shape on the ground—from seedlings being planted to landscapes being restored together with communities in Cebu,” she added.
This initiative will cover forest and watershed restoration, agroforestry, biodiversity conservation and mangrove rehabilitation, with local communities involved in planting, maintenance and protection of the restored areas.
The partnership forms part of CarbonPH, Aboitiz Foundation’s long-term forest and watershed restoration program in Cebu.
The foundation has committed to a 40-year restoration effort covering around 71,000 hectares and involving millions of trees.
For GCash, the Balamban project will contribute to its goal of planting 10 million actual trees by 2030. GCash GForest has helped plant 4.9 million actual trees to date, according to the companies.
The project targets at least an 85-percent tree survival rate and will include continued maintenance, monitoring and protection after planting, the companies said.
Native and endemic trees, bamboo and agroforestry species will be planted in upland areas, while mangroves will be restored along coastal areas.
