The move for water security and climate change mitigation for a sustainable future continues as more of Manila Water’s operating units in the Non-East Zone lead tree-planting activities under the Pasibol: Puno ng Pag-asa program.

Manila Water’s operating unit in Calbayog City, Samar, Calbayog Water Company, in collaboration with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources - Protected Area Management Board (DENR-PAMB) of Calbayog City, successfully planted 625 trees, including Cacao, Pili, and Toog trees in Barangay Manuel Barral, Oquendo District, Calbayog City.

The location is within the protected area of Pan-as Hayiban Watershed to where Hamonini River, one of Calbayog City’s biggest water source, is heavily dependent for its recharge. Calbayog Water has adopted 1.25 hectares of protected area in the Pan-as Hayiban Watershed per year for tree planting and nurturing.

Boracay Water, Manila Water’s operating unit in Boracay Island and a concessionaire of Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), also spearheaded the tree planting efforts in its adopted area in the Nabaoy Watershed at Sitio Mananga, Barangay Nabaoy, Malay, Aklan.

In Calbayog City, Calbayog Water, together with the Calbayog City DENR-PAMB, planted 625 trees in the Pan-as Hayiban Watershed, the watershed area supporting one of Calbayog’s biggest water source, the Hamonini River.

This initiative aims to continue the Company’s efforts in mitigating the risks of deforestation and deterioration of raw water quality in Nabaoy River, the lone source of raw water of Boracay Island, as well as strengthen relationships with its partners in the public and private sector.

The activity was joined by environmental warriors from the Boracay Multi-Forest Protection Committee, Community Environment and Natural Resources Office-Boracay, Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office-Malay, Nabaoy Council, teaching staff and students of Nabaoy Elementary School, Coast Guard Station Aklan, Malay Municipal Police Station, and forest farmers from Nabaoy Forest Farmers Development Association or NAFFDA. 

A total of 350 seedlings were planted within the adopted watershed composed of local tree species such as Tabao, Baslayan and Maguilomboy. Since the establishment of the business unit, Boracay Water has adopted 40 hectares in Nabaoy Watershed for protection and reforestation in partnership with the DENR, Malay LGU, and NAFFDA.

Pasibol is Manila Water’s tree nurturing and reforestation program intended to involve Manila Water employees from the East Zone and Non-East Zone business units and their stakeholders in environmental stewardship through the establishment of nurseries, tree planting and maintenance of trees planted in the previous years.

Aside from planting and nurturing 580,000 trees until 2025, also part of Manila Water’s new Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) targets is the reforestation of 1,000 hectares of watershed areas across the Philippines.