Toyota PH, Ernie Gawilan conducts nationwide mangrove planting project

MANILA: Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP), in partnership with Paralympic swimmer Ernie Gawilan, has planted a total of 10,354 mangrove seedlings in various coastal communities around the country. 

The aforementioned project is dubbed the “Start Your Impossible” National Coastal Cleanup and Mangrove Planting Day. It was held in 33 locations across the country, and it brought together 1,302 volunteers from TMP and the Japanese car brand’s local dealer network. Working alongside members of local government units and environmental offices, the group also managed to collect a total of 789 bags of trash in the same coastal areas. 

Per TMP, the mangrove planting project aims to help restore the natural splendor and biodiversity of the country’s coastlines. Moreover, it highlights the importance of preserving the marine ecosystem and combating the negative effects of coastal pollution. 

To note, the project was spearheaded by Gawilan as a part of his “Start Yout Impossible” journey. The program is a global initiative by Toyota designed to empower athletes not just in competition but also in their respective social advocacies. 

Gawilan, who grew up in Samal Island, knows firsthand the importance of cleaner waters and the need to drive environmental awareness. As such, the aforementioned has become a part of his life mission beyond being a world-renowned competitive swimmer. 

“Nagpapasalamat ako sa Toyota family sa pagtulong sa akin sa pagtanim at coastal cleanup ngayong araw (I am grateful to the Toyota family for helping me with the tree planting and the coastal cleanup today),” Gawilan said during his speech at the Samal Island site of the said project. 

“Sana marami akong na inspire, at pagtulungan natin na ma-preserve ang kalikasan natin, lalo na ang dagat, kasi dito po ako nagsimula (I hope I have inspired many, and let us work together to preserve our environment, especially the ocean, because this is where I started),” Gawilan added. 

Similarly, Carlos Yulo previously spearheaded his own “Start Your Impossible” project a few months ago. For the dual-gold-winning gymnastics Olympian, his advocacy under the initiative is to uplift and mentor the next generation of athletes.

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