One Meralco Marks Earth Day 2023 with Two Million Nurtured Trees

 

RAISING AWARENESS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION. Meralco employees join a tree planting activity in Siniloan, Laguna as part of the One for Trees program of the One Meralco Foundation. The One for Trees program recently marked a significant milestone with two million trees planted across the country.

One Meralco has marked a significant milestone in its sustainability journey with the successful planting of over two million trees across the country as the world celebrates Earth Day 2023.

 

A total of 2,037,450 trees have been planted and nurtured in different parts of the country under the One for Trees environmental advocacy program led by One Meralco Foundation (OMF), the corporate social responsibility arm of Meralco.

 

According to OMF President and Meralco Chief Corporate Social Responsibility Officer Jeffrey O. Tarayao, the successful planting and nurturing of over two million trees is a testament to the power of grassroots partnerships to impact lasting change.

 

“One for Trees goes beyond reforestation and embraces sustainability by working with communities to ensure that the trees they plant will also benefit their own families,” Tarayao said.

The One for Trees program, Tarayao explained, advocates multi-dimensional sustainable solutions to address reforestation and environmental protection and conservation in the Philippines while empowering communities through economic and social development.

 

Since its launch in 2019, One for Trees has contributed to a greener future in different parts of the country including Bohol, Bukidnon, Aklan, Agusan del Norte, Pampanga, Bulacan, Laguna, Quezon City, as well as Panay, and Cebu, where reforestation sites of Global Business Power Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Meralco PowerGen Corporation, are located.

 

One for Trees also provides new sources of income for tree-farming families through partnerships with people’s organizations. These strategically contribute to the program’s aim to plant five million new trees by 2026 in biodiverse landscapes in the Philippines.

 

“Our reforestation efforts are in line with One Meralco’s wholistic approach to embed sustainability not just in our business operations, but also in the development of the communities we serve. As we continue to engage more stakeholders in environmental protection and conservation, we remain committed to helping ensure that the responsibility and benefits of investing in our planet is shared by all,” Meralco President and Chief Executive Officer and OMF Vice Chairman Atty. Ray C. Espinosa said.

 

Centered on preserving and protecting the planet, One for Trees is a key initiative under One Meralco’s sustainability agenda called “Powering the Good Life” which is deeply rooted in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

 

 

Huawei donates $200,000 for PLDT’s CSR

Chinese tech giant Huawei has donated $200,000, or about P10.11 million, to PLDT Smart Foundation (PSF) to help fund the corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs of PLDT Inc. and Smart Communications Inc.

 

The CSR initiatives for funding to be determined by both PSF and Huawei will include disaster response, rehabilitation and recovery, promotion and enhancement of education in the country, environmental conservation, and the use of technology in health services.

 

“I would like to thank Huawei for the $200,000 donation to PSF, which will go a long way in supporting our CSR programs like education, disaster relief, environment, telehealth, and many more,” PSF chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan said.

 

PLDT and Smart have been longtime partners with Huawei.

 

PSF and Huawei’s partnership started years ago when Chinese tech giant donated disaster relief equipment, such as tents, rechargeable lights, and other tools, for PSF’s disaster response program.

 

It has also contributed 13 sets of school-in-a-bag with Huawei laptops for Smart’s education program, and the recent telehealth equipment for Makati Medical Center and Cardinal Santos hospitals.

 

Huawei vice president Daniel Guo said the company intends to contribute more to the country through its support to the programs and initiatives of PSF.

 

Huawei is a leading global provider of ICT infrastructure and smart devices.

 

It operates in over 170 countries and regions, serving more than three billion people around the world.

 

“The initiatives were chosen to align with the program sectors of PSF, as well as to highlight the technology solutions of Huawei. These programs are also aligned with Huawei’s overall CSR strategy,” PSF president Ma. Esther Santos said.

 

“Moving forward, PSF projects will try to inject technology solutions enabled by technology companies Huawei and PLDT-Smart. This is also aligned with PSF’s vision-mission of a connected, empowered, progressive Philippines,” she said.

 

PSF, which serves as the social outreach arm of PLDT and Smart, has created programs focused on education, livelihood and social enterprise, disaster response and recovery, youth, arts, and sports development.