MANILA – Manila Water Company (Manila Water) has planted and nurtured over 1.4 million trees across the country as of December 2022 under its watershed protection and management program to help fight climate change.
Among the tree species planted under the water firm’s tree planting activities are narra, mahogany, yakal, kamagong, ipil, sandalwood, maguilomboy, agohoy and fruit-bearing trees that can also provide source of food and livelihood to the residents of watershed areas such as langka, rambutan, guyabano, santol, cacao and coffee trees.
It has also planted fishpole bamboos in Laguna province.
“We also move to protect life on land through watershed protection and management programs. The company’s watershed management can help improve biodiversity and contribute to carbon sequestration that can mitigate the effects of climate change,” Manila Water president and chief executive officer Jocot de Dios said in a statement on Wednesday.
Since the launch of its watershed management program in 2006, Manila Water has partnered with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS), various local government units, indigenous people residing in watershed communities and other stakeholders for its implementation.
The water firm’s watershed protection efforts focus on the Ipo watershed in Norzagaray town, Bulacan province; La Mesa watershed in Quezon City; Upper Marikina watershed in Marikina City; and General Nakar watershed in Quezon province.
It has pursued watershed management and protection programs in Nabaoy watershed in Malay town, Aklan province; Villa Maria, Porac town, Pampanga; watershed and forest areas in Laguna province; Pan-As Hayiban watershed in Calbayog, Samar province; and Luyang watershed in Carmen town, Cebu province.
Manila Water has also been supporting the Annual Million Trees Challenge (AMTC) of the MWSS since its launch in 2017.
The water firm has covered a total of 2,739.27 hectares of land in reforestation activities in different parts of the country. (with reports from Perfecto Raymundo Jr., PNA)
