Silliman University plants 132,000 mangrove and beach forest seedlings through GCash partnership

GCash, the Philippines’ leading finance super app and cashless ecosystem, has partnered with Silliman University for a reforestation project in South Negros. The SU-GCash Reforestation in South Negros Project, is part of a larger environmental initiative in Negros Oriental. The partnership between the two organizations began in May 2023, marking a joint commitment to plant 500,000 trees in the province to fight climate change and support biodiversity conservation.

Led by Dr. Hilconida P. Calumpong, project coordinator and professor emeritus of the Institute of Environmental and Marine Sciences (IEMS) of Silliman University, the project involved sixteen partner people’s organizations, three from the municipality of Zamboanguita, four from the municipality of Siaton, five from the municipality of Sta Catalina, one from Bayawan City and three from the municipality of Basay.  Four of these POs have members that are all women.

The tree planting initiative spans thirteen barangays from Zamboanguita to Basay. This widespread effort aims to restore mangrove and beach forest ecosystems, which are crucial for environmental sustainability and local livelihoods.

Over the past year, the project has successfully planted more than 132,000 seedlings, composed of 22 species, 15 of which are mangroves and 7 of which are beach forest. Among the most abundant species planted were Bakhaw-bato (Rhizophora stylosa), Lapis-lapis (Ceriops decandra), Piapi (Avicennia marina), Balokbalok (Pongamia pinnata), Bitaog (Callophylum inophylum) and Dungon (Heritiera littoralis).

In June of this year, the first seven POs that were able to plant were awarded certificates of tree planting. These were Latason-Cabcab Fishermen’s Association (LACABFA), Si-it Bay Fisherfolk Organization (SBFA), Fatima Women’s Association (FWA), Nagbalaye Women’s Association (NAWA), Women’s Guba-Pasil Association (WGPA), Caranoche Mangrove Community Association (CMCA), and Cot-cot Trawlers Fisher’s Association (CTFA), with each group playing a vital role in promoting sustainable practices and supporting local ecosystems.

“The island of Negros is among the most biodiverse spots in the country, and we recognize the efforts that have been put in place to mainstream biodiversity conservation. GForest’s efforts are aligned with all these initiatives. Our efforts focus on restoring mangroves and protecting coastal communities, which ultimately benefit the environment and create a sense of security for the communities,” stated GCash sustainability head CJ Alegre.

“Our partnership with GCash, through GForest, has allowed us to engage with various communities and people’s organizations, all of whom have an important role to play in protecting our environment and ensuring that our coastal ecosystems can continually provide us with goods and services,” stated Dr. Calumpong, who distributed tree planting certificates to the organizations involved, together with Dr. Pablina L. Cadiz, a blue carbon specialist and a faculty member of IEMS.

This project marks the fruitful start to the GCash-Silliman University partnership, with both organizations committing to plant half a million mangrove and beach forest species across five municipalities in South Negros.

A 2019 study led by ETH-Zurich in Switzerland found that the planet’s ecosystems could support another 900 million hectares of forests, which could capture 205 gigatons of carbon, cutting atmospheric carbon by one-fourth—underscoring the importance of tree-planting as part of efforts to attain carbon neutrality.

GForest was started in the same year to make it easier for GCash users to contribute to tree-planting efforts. Through digital transactions, GCash users are able to reduce their carbon footprint and collect energy points that can be used to plant virtual trees. GCash and its partners then plant actual trees that correspond to the virtual trees that users planted.  GForest has since grown into a digital eco-movement that also spans agroforestry efforts to help boost the livelihood of farmers in various local communities throughout the Philippines.

At present, over 2.8 million trees of various species have been planted throughout the Philippines, including native trees, mangroves, and fruit-bearing trees. GCash collaborates with environmental experts to determine ideal species to be planted in an area and to ensure that planted seedlings have high survivability rates. Moreover, all harvests from trees go to the respective communities, booting livelihoods and small businesses.

GCash is also cognizant of September 21 as Zero Emissions Day and reaffirms its commitment on climate action.