The West Zone concessionaire has launched its 2026 Plant for Life program, aiming to plant 230,225 indigenous tree seedlings across 450 hectares of priority restoration sites within the Ipo Watershed.
Watershed focus
The planting sites are located in Norzagaray, Bulacan, and Mt. Balagbag in Rizal, both part of the Ipo Watershed and identified by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) as priority areas for forest restoration.
The watershed forms part of the Angat-Ipo raw water system, which supplies water to Metro Manila. Reforesting degraded areas helps reduce soil erosion and sedimentation, improve water infiltration, restore biodiversity, and strengthen the long-term sustainability of the region's water supply.
Unlike one-day tree-planting drives, Maynilad's Plant for Life program includes three years of site maintenance through partnerships with local people's organizations.
The work involves monitoring planted areas, protecting seedlings, managing vegetation, and replacing damaged trees to improve survival rates.
Long-term care
The approach has produced a seedling survival rate of more than 85 percent over the past seven years. In 2025, DENR validation showed a 92.1-percent survival rate across the 450-hectare restoration sites in Mt. Balagbag and Norzagaray.
"Watershed restoration is measured not only by how many seedlings are planted, but by how many are able to survive and become part of a functioning forest," said Maynilad chief sustainability officer Atty. Roel S. Espiritu in a statement.
He said combining indigenous tree planting with sustained site care and community stewardship strengthens natural systems that support water quality, water availability, and the resilience of nearby communities.
This year's program will plant native species such as narra, kupang, and kalumpit to help restore biodiversity and establish forests suited to local watershed conditions.
Since the program began in 2007, Maynilad has planted more than 1.64 million seedlings and helped restore nearly 2,420 hectares of watersheds and other environmentally critical areas. The 2026 kickoff gathered Maynilad volunteers and representatives from several partner organizations supporting the reforestation initiative. —Ed: Corrie S. Narisma
