One Meralco Foundation hits milestone in sustainability

MANILA, Philippines — One Meralco Foundation (OMF), the corporate social responsibility arm of Meralco, has reached a significant milestone in its sustainability journey.

The OMF said over two million trees have been planted and nurtured in different parts of the country under its One for Trees environmental advocacy program.

The program’s aim is 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,” Meralco president and chief executive officer and OMF vice chairman Ray Espinosa said.

“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,” he said.

Since its launch in 2019, the OMF said 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 Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of Meralco PowerGen Corp., are located.

The program also provides new sources of income for tree-farming families through partnerships with people’s organizations.

OMF president and Meralco chief corporate social responsibility officer Jeffrey Tarayao said the successful planting and nurturing of over two million trees is a testament to the power of grassroots partnerships to impact lasting change.

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

“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.

One for Trees is a key initiative under the OMF sustainability agenda called “Powering the Good Life” which is deeply rooted in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.