Toyota PH conducts reforestation activities to protect Sierra Madre and Verde Island Passage

MANILA: Toyota Motor Philippines Corporation (TMP) has adopted a block of upland forest in Siniloan, Laguna and mangrove forests in Calatagan, Batangas as part of its ongoing initiatives to combat climate change and conserve biodiversity.

To formally adopt the planting sites under the National Greening Program (NGP), TMP will sign two different agreements with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) - Region IV-A Calabarzon this month. In order to achieve an 80% survival rate, these projects have committed to planting 41,000 trees and mangroves over a five-year period.

TMP formed volunteer teams to plant 10,000 trees and 5,000 mangroves in the two areas throughout the month of September as the first round of reforestation activities. TMP also turned over 150 kilograms, or 21 sacks, of plastic waste gathered from the Calatagan shoreline to the local authorities as part of its participation in the International Coastal Clean-up Day.

“Toyota shares the responsibility in protecting the planet Earth and in fighting climate change in line with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Global Toyota implements the Toyota Environmental Challenge 2050 to achieve zero carbon dioxide emissions and net positive environmental impact by year 2050,” TMP President Atsuhiro Okamoto stated.

TMP will plant native and fruit-bearing tree species in a 50-hectare land at the foot of the Sierra Madre in Siniloan, Laguna. According to University of the Philippines Los Baños, the Philippine Hornbill, Gray's Monitor Lizard, Civet Cat, Cave Nectar Bat, and Wax Plant species are among the indigenous plants and animals that inhabit this area. The Sierra Madre, a long mountain range on the east of Luzon, protects the Philippines from typhoons and is home to some of the oldest forests in the country.

Moreover, TMP agrees to plant 16,000 mangrove propagules over an eight-hectare area along the Calatagan coast. The company has already planted 30,000 mangroves at the existing TMP NGP planting site in Lian, Batangas since 2018. These two coastal sites are part of the Verde Island Passage, which is regarded as the global center of marine shorefish biodiversity.

Mangroves are a significant element of Toyota's climate change solution in the Philippines, according to TMP Environment Manager Mark Anthony Marcelo. “Mangroves have high capacity to absorb CO2 as they store up to 10 times more per hectare than terrestrial forests. Mangroves also serve as a barrier against storm surges and are crucial to marine life and livelihood of coastal communities,” he said.

The local tree-planting, mangrove-planting, coastal, and riverside clean-up operations carried out by TMP are part of the “All Toyota Green Wave Project,” a Global Toyota project that was launched in 2015. This project connects the Toyota Network, which consists of TMP Team Members, Dealers, and Suppliers, to environmental protection initiatives while reducing climate risks and supporting local communities' livelihoods.

Last April, TMP also adopted a 40-hectare NGP planting site in Maragondon, Cavite. 10,000 native and fruit-bearing tree seedlings were initially planted there.

Photos from Toyota Motor Philippines

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