While mangroves seem tiny when planted, they grow massive in size and strength. They turn into beautiful mangrove forests as they age and protect coastlines and marine life. With the Philippines constantly at threat from typhoons, flooding, and other extreme natural calamities, mangroves play a critical role in the protection of coastal communities. Their thick and lush covering, grown over time, protect coastal communities from the onslaught of the seas and provide the perfect home for marine life. Mangroves continue to be an excellent resource to coastal communities. However, despite their benefits, mangroves remain at threat across the world. The World Bank reports between 1980 to 2005, 19% of the world’s mangroves were lost. In the Philippines, mangroves are lost to land conversion. To assist in the conservation and restoration of mangroves in the Philippines, the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. One to Tree program (RAFI OTT) and GCash have joined forces in nurturing more mangrove forests across Cebu Province. The GCash RAFI Mangroves Project aims to plant 550,00 mangroves in Daanbantayan, San Remigio, and Medellin in the Province of Cebu, covering a total of 55 hectares. The project will support and help coastal communities and their surrounding marine biodiversity. GCash has donated Php. 22,168,184.78 to the project, supporting the production of native seedlings, maintenance, and monitoring of 550,000 mangroves. RAFI OTT will provide extensive technical assistance in the production, maintenance, monitoring, and reporting of the grown mangrove seedlings. RAFI OTT will work closely with communities and partner farmers in the implementation of the project. The program will provide extensive technical training and oversight over seedling production to ensure the survival of mangrove seedlings. “GCash has been a valued partner of RAFI One To tree. Over the last year, we have worked with GCash in establishing native tree nurseries and helping recover tree cover lost in the Philippines. The GCash RAFI Mangrove Project is our latest project together and we are excited to work with them in growing mangrove forests together in Cebu Province,” said Anthony Dignadice, Executive Director of RAFI One To Tree. GCash is committed to build environmentally-conscious and civic-minded communities genuinely concerned for the environment. Through its cutting-edge technology and establishing impactful partnerships, GCash takes an active role in minimize the effects of climate change. “We are very pleased to be able to continue our reforestation activities with the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. Through our shared value of sustainability, we will be able to grow mangrove forests together and help build more sustainable and disaster-resilient communities in the future,” said Martha Sazon, President and CEO of GCash. The GCash RAFI Mangroves Project will run for a duration of 33 months. “This new project in cooperation with RAFI is a concrete testament of our environment, social and governance (ESG) aspiration in GCash. As announced recently, we planted one million trees nationwide as of end February and we are positive that through this initiative, we will be able to plant more together with our GForest champions all over the country,” adds Chito Maniago, VP for Corporate Communications and Public Affairs of GCash. GForest champions can now plant mangroves through their GCash app (iOS, Android). Simply visit your GForest and start collecting enough energy points to plant your own mangrove seedling. Become a GForest champion today!
