More than 3,000 volunteers assembled in Balamban, Cebu, to initiate a five-year environmental project led by the Aboitiz Foundation and GCash.
The on-ground activation aims to plant one million trees and rehabilitate 1,200 hectares of land, marking the first major field deployment under the CarbonPH and GForest joint initiative.
Timed to coincide with World Bamboo Day, the event combined upland bamboo and tree planting with local coastal cleanups organized by the Municipality of Balamban for International Coastal Cleanup Day. The effort blends community action with digital engagement, connecting GCash users’ green energy points directly to physical reforestation work.
For Aboitiz Foundation president Ginggay Hontiveros-Malvar, the launch is the start of a much longer restoration journey rooted in community stewardship.
“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. CarbonPH is about making sure the trees we plant today become part of healthier ecosystems and stronger communities tomorrow.”
The five-year project in Balamban contributes to CarbonPH’s broader 40-year strategic goal: restoring 71,000 hectares of watersheds and forests across Cebu. The project relies on inter-agency cooperation, receiving support from local government units, the Cebu Bamboo Industry Development Council, and key national bodies:
- Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Forest Management Bureau (DENR-FMB): Provides technical frameworks and policy guidance focused on science-based forest governance.
- Climate Change Commission (CCC): Ensures alignment with the Paris Agreement and the Philippines’ Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), which targets a 75% reduction and avoidance of greenhouse gas emissions from 2020 to 2030.
The Balamban site is being managed using a “ridge-to-reef” mosaic strategy. Reforestation efforts incorporate native and endemic flora, agroforestry crops, river corridor stabilization, and shoreline protection.
- Native and Endemic Trees: Cebu Cinnamon (Kaningag), Narra, Molave, Katmon, Almaciga, and Bagilumbang.
- Agroforestry and Cash Crops: Cacao, coffee, jackfruit, and various bamboo species.
- Coastal and Riparian Features: Mangrove restoration along shorelines and riverbank planting to control erosion, mitigate flood risks, and enhance disaster resilience.
Michelle Fernandez, Mynt head of corporate sustainability and communications, said the partnership makes that connection more tangible for GCash GForest users.
“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.”
Having planted 4.9 million trees to date, GCash intends to use the 1 million trees slated for Balamban to progress toward its overarching target of 10 million trees by 2030.
To ensure long-term viability rather than short-term output, the initiative mandates a minimum tree survival rate of 85%. This target is supported by multi-year maintenance schedules, active field monitoring, continuous protection protocols, and local community management. Over the next five years, CarbonPH plans to replicate this model across additional sites throughout Cebu.
Check https://aboitiz.com/aboitiz-foundation to know more.
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