Toyota Philippines commitment: A million trees for carbon sinks

MANILA, Philippines — One Saturday early this month, I jumped out of bed and prepared for a five-hour road trip to Quezon province.

It was my day off, but I knew that my time would be well spent that weekend because I would be participating in a meaningful activity meant to help the environment — Toyota Motor Philippines Corp. (TMP)’s mangrove planting activity at a National Greening Program (NGP) site in Unisan, Quezon.

The initiative marks a significant step in the company’s commitment to plant one million trees by 2030 under the All Toyota Green Wave Project.

I arrived at the site a little after lunch, and soon enough, we were ready to start the tree-planting activity.

I joined a network of volunteers, and after changing into rubber boots and preparing our gear and equipment, we were ready.

TMP president Masando Hashimoto spearheaded the volunteer group, which included TMP team members, TMP Foundation officers, Toyota Lucena City, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) representatives, local government officials and members of people’s organizations.

“To mark 10 years of this project, I am proud to announce TMP’s commitment to plant one million trees by 2030,” said Hashimoto in his speech. “The 13,000 mangrove seedlings we are planting today are part of this goal, in addition to those we have already planted in other parts of Calabarzon. Our work here in Quezon marks our last stop in this region, but our one-million-tree challenge continues.”

Inspired and excited, our group of volunteers walked toward the mangrove area, a few meters away from where we had converged upon arrival.

It was a hot and sticky day, and on the site itself, it was muddy, but as I said, it was all worthwhile.

This was not my first tree-planting experience, but it was my first time planting a mangrove seedling.

At the same time, two-time Paralympic swimmer and Global Team Toyota Athlete Ernie Gawilan led a coastal clean-up, advancing his advocacy for clean waters and inclusivity — a dual-hero project he began in 2019 in collaboration with TMP as part of the first-ever global corporate initiative.

Masando Hashimoto

Carbon offsetting

TMP, as a mobility company, aims to scale its climate action beyond carbon reduction through nature-positive activities and carbon offsetting.

Toward this end, the company pledges to expand its efforts by increasing annual targets, adopting new sites nationwide and engaging volunteers both within and outside the Toyota network.

With a localized strategy, TMP focuses its Green Wave Project on unique Philippine ecosystems.

“To date, TMP has adopted a total of 108 hectares under the DENR’s NGP, with sites in upland and coastal areas in Cavite, Laguna, Batangas and Rizal. These efforts address vital ecosystems like the Sierra Madre and the Verde Island Passage,” TMP said of its project.

Bird watching

The next morning, following the planting, the Wild Bird Club of the Philippines led TMP volunteers in a bird-watching activity to record avian species and assess the area’s interconnected biodiversity.

The Unisan planting site will be officially adopted and marks the final location for TMP to cover the Calabarzon region (Region IV-A).

Unisan Mangrove Ecosystem

In a statement, TMP said that Unisan is part of Tayabas Bay in Quezon Province, which has the third-longest coastline in the Philippines. The DENR-Biodiversity Management Bureau considers it a Key Biodiversity Area; however, recent years have seen a decline in mangrove cover due to various human activities. This has placed pressure on marine biodiversity and increased the vulnerability of local communities to natural disasters.

Through the DENR, TMP said it is in the process of adopting 20 hectares of coastal area and has initiated the planting of 50,000 mangrove seedlings over five years. Engaging a people’s organization in planting and maintaining the site will provide a source of additional income for fisherfolk communities.

Furthermore, TMP said local authorities welcome the strong support from the private sector as being essential to bringing lasting benefits to the community. Mangrove forests can strengthen coastal defenses, revitalize fisheries and improve livelihoods.

“TMP views mangrove ecosystems as a dual solution to climate problems, contributing to both disaster resilience and carbon neutrality, as they can sequester more carbon dioxide than most terrestrial forests,” it said.

The author dedicates the seedling to the memory of her father.

Harmony with nature

Launched in 2015, the All Toyota Green Wave Project is a global initiative that promotes the protection, restoration and sustainable use of ecosystems. It is one of the flagship projects addressing the Toyota Global Environmental Challenge 6: Establishing a Future Society in Harmony with Nature.

TMP said it implements the Green Wave Project through upland tree planting, mangrove rehabilitation and biodiversity conservation. “Since 2016, the TMP network has contributed to this effort by planting over 371,000 trees nationwide, including 120,000 established under the NGP,” TMP also said.

In loving memory

On a personal note, the experience was extra special for me because the seedling I planted was in honor of my father, Blamar Gonzales, who passed away on Aug. 16, 2025.

My father, who also happened to be a loyal Toyota customer, loved nature and had created many curio items from wood and other sustainable materials. I hope that, like him and the memory of him, the seedling I planted — and all the others — live full lives and stay forever.