Globe goes green with Cordillera Challenge

MANILA, Philippines - For most people, trying to save the environment seems like such a herculean task. The problem has gotten too big for many to grasp that it seems more convenient to keep it out of mind.

But as recent calamities have proven, the consequences of environmental destruction have hit way too close to home.

It is, as Al Gore says, “An Inconvenient Truth.”

Gore says, “The struggle to save the global environment is in one way much more difficult than the struggle to vanquish Hitler, for this time the war is with ourselves. We are the enemy, just as we have only ourselves as allies.”

And just as we only have ourselves to rely on to solve this problem, every small step each person takes to avert the destruction of the environment and resuscitate it can make a big difference.

In the Philippine setting, there are many places to start.

Sustainable water supply is one problem that requires immediate attention. The shortage in potable water and the ongoing El Niño phenomenon are proof of that need. The root cause of the drain in water supply is massive deforestation. Forested lands hold much of the ground water supply, which in turn feeds bodies of water.

A significant bulk of Luzon’s water supply is sourced from the watersheds cradled by the forests of the Cordillera mountains. With an area of 1,829,368 hectares, the Cordillera is considered the watershed of all major rivers and creeks, including those that flow from the Ilocos and Cagayan regions.

Luzon’s main rivers like the Chico, Agno, Abra, Siffu and Amburayan-Naguilian-Aringgay rivers originate from the watersheds of the Cordillera.

About 85 percent of the Cordilleras are forest lands, serving the irrigation requirements of farmlands and the water supply of the populace in majority of Northern Luzon and even in other low-lying areas like in Central Luzon and of course, even Metro Manila.

“This is only a small fraction of the importance of the Cordillera mountain ecosystem,” says JP Alipio, a native of Benguet and founder of the Cordillera Conservation Trust (CCT), a non-government organization that seeks to provide relevant, practical and sustainable solutions to environmental problems in the area.

“The Cordilleras are also vital in maintaining biodiversity, energy production and mineral production. For the local population living within these mountains, the environment is of great importance. As in most areas in the region, the communities depend directly on the environment for their livelihood,” Alipio says.

Today, the Cordillera forests are in critical state.

Massive deforestation has drastically reduced the forest cover to about 42 percent. Its continued degradation has caused major problems for communities. For one, flash floods in areas downstream of major rivers, such as areas in Pangasinan drained by the Agno River, have become a perennial problem.

“This is especially evident in the rural areas where the primary resource base is still tied to the land, forests and waters, the degradation of which results in the ecosystem’s reduced capacity to sustain local livelihood, increased vulnerability to natural disasters, as well as health problems that arise from the degradation or contamination of the environment,” Alipio says.

As early as 2007, the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) raised alarm bells that the Cordillera watershed is on the brink of extinction.

“More than 12,000 hectares of watersheds along Tadian and Bauko towns in Mt. Province, and Buguias, Kabayan and Bokod towns in Benguet are considered critically endangered due to man-made intrusions,” says Dr. Abraham Akilit, NIA regional director.

Four of Luzon’s major rivers — the Agno, Chico, Abra and Magat rivers — are slowly drying up because of the continuing degradation of the watersheds, thus it is critical to restore the Cordilleras’ forest cover through reforestation efforts.

For the past couple of years Alipio’s CCT has been seeking support for reforestation efforts both in the Philippines and abroad. And while many organizations and corporations have been supporting CCT, there is so much to be done and efforts to reforest the Cordilleras have to be more sustainable.

It is this glaring problem that has led Globe to do what it can to help save the Cordillera forests, as part of its mission to help transform and enrich lives.

To mark World Earth Day, Globe Bridging Communities has also launched an integrated campaign to raise awareness on environmental sustainability. The campaign is called Globe Goes Green.

“Globe continues to invest in the environment and its protection. Supporting the environment is an integral part of doing business over the long term,” says Ernest Cu, president and CEO of Globe.

Globe is adopting the mission for sustainable environmental protection by spearheading a project called “Cordillera Challenge.” This is a sports activity that allows Globe employees to go through a challenging 40-kilometer bike ride using the back roads of Benguet. Alongside the challenge is a fund-raising activity to raise financial support for the reforestation of the Cordilleras.

“One of the concrete ways that we are spearheading to help sustain the environment is the Globe Cordillera Challenge. This watershed cradle of Luzon supports the irrigation, fishing, agriculture and potable water supplies of the region. If we do not reforest the Cordilleras then it challenges our survival. At the core of the Globe Cordillera Challenge are our employees. We have engaged them so they become living ambassadors of Globe’s commitment to environmental sustainability,” adds Cu.

On April 24, the Globe Adventure Club, a group of Globe employees who are certified biking enthusiasts, will pedal through a high-altitude, lung-busting, 40-kilometer cross-country bike trail from La Trinidad to Kapangan, Benguet.

The Globe Cordillera Challenge not only challenges its pedal-pushing employees or the CCT, but it also challenges its over-5,000 employees to do what they can to help reforest the Cordillera forests. Hence, Globe will also be planting over 10,000 trees in a communal area in the Cordilleras. That’s enough to cover about five hectares of forestland.

“We are pleased with the tremendous support that our Globe employees have shown in this effort. We are also emboldened by the support of the local communities, concerned partners, and other stakeholders who take an active role in preserving the environment. We know a lot still has to be done, but together we can be all environmental stewards one small step at a time,” says Cu.

For many who live with all the conveniences in Metro Manila, the woes of the Cordilleras seem too remote. But with a threat looming over, even the most basic necessities each person has, every little means to help will count in the big picture.