Aboitiz Foundation, GCash Launch 1,200-Hectare Forest Restoration in Cebu

MANILA, Philippines — The Aboitiz Foundation and GCash have teamed up to plant and grow one million trees in Cebu over the next five years, combining their environmental programs to help restore forests and coastal ecosystems. Under the CarbonPH x GForest Project, the partners will restore about 1,200 hectares (ha) in Balamban through agroforestry, indigenous and native tree planting, and mangrove rehabilitation. The initiative brings together CarbonPH, Aboitiz Foundation’s nature-based climate action program, and fintech GCash’s GForest, which allows users to earn green energy points from digital activities and use these to support tree-planting projects. The additional one million trees will build on the 4.9 million actual trees already planted through GForest. It will also bring GCash closer to its goal of planting 10 million actual trees by 2030. For Aboitiz Foundation, the partnership forms part of CarbonPH’s 40-year commitment to restore forest landscapes in Cebu. The program has a long-term ambition of covering more than 40,000 to 71,000 ha, primarily within the Central Cebu Protected Landscape and surrounding areas. “CarbonPH is about looking beyond the number of trees we plant. It is about restoring entire ecosystems and making sure they continue to provide value to people and communities for generations,” Aboitiz Foundation president Ginggay Hontiveros-Malvar said. The project will tailor its interventions to the needs of the landscape and nearby communities. Agroforestry will support tree-growing alongside sustainable livelihoods, while native and indigenous trees will help restore forest ecosystems and biodiversity. Mangrove rehabilitation, meanwhile, is expected to improve coastal ecosystems and strengthen natural protection against climate-related risks. Michelle Fernandez, head of corporate sustainability and communications at Mynt, said the partnership would turn the green energy points earned by GCash users into tangible environmental outcomes through tree planting and ecosystem restoration. Through the project, Aboitiz Foundation and GCash aim to combine technology, community participation and nature-based solutions to turn their long-term climate commitments into measurable action. INQ