The participating conglomerates include the Lopez family-led First Philippine Holdings Corp. (FPH); San Miguel Corp., through subsidiaries SMC Global Power and Petron Corp.; SM Prime Holdings Inc., a subsidiary of SM Investments Corp.; the MVP Group of Companies; Prime Infrastructure Capital Inc.; the Aboitiz Group’s Aboitiz Foundation, and DMCI Mining Corp., a subsidiary of DMCI Holdings Inc.
These companies formalized their commitment by signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with DENR Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo Loyzaga, signifying a united effort between the private and public sectors to promote sustainable forest management and a regenerative economy.
Doubling the target to 10 million trees
“We are at a critical juncture in the history of our planet, where we urgently need to solve the climate crisis by transitioning to a clean energy future and reducing carbon emissions,” said FPH chair and CEO Federico R. Lopez during the signing ceremony.
“Our support for the DENR goes beyond tree planting—we also focus on understanding and protecting our natural ecosystems and threatened biodiversity,” Lopez added.
Under the “Forests for Life” program, participating conglomerates, professional organizations, local government units, and non-government organizations committed to plant 10 million trees over the next three years in critical and flood-prone areas across the country, including Ilocos Norte, Rizal, Leyte, Bataan, Bukidnon, and Lanao del Norte. This target is double the original goal of five million trees.
Climate goals
The initiative is projected to sequester about 6.5 million tons of carbon dioxide by 2038—contributing significantly to the Philippines’ climate goals.
Priority tree species for planting include native and tropical hardwoods such as yakal-saplungan, palosapis, dao, kalumpit, agoho, and talisai-gubat, among others.
FPH, through its subsidiaries First Gen Corp. and Energy Development Corp. (EDC), brings to the program its extensive experience from Project Binhi, the country’s largest private reforestation effort.
FPH's Binhi
Since 2008, Binhi has restored over 10,140 hectares of denuded forest land and planted nearly seven million native trees, providing habitats for more than 500 species of Philippine fauna.
Beyond reforestation, FPH and the Lopez Group of Companies are long-term partners of the DENR in initiatives like Project Transform, which promotes community resilience through a transdisciplinary approach, and Project Center of Center, which supports marine ecosystem conservation in the Verde Island Passage—one of the most biodiverse marine areas in the world.
The collective participation of these top corporations underscores a growing recognition among Philippine businesses of their role in climate action, sustainability, and forging collaborative pathways toward a decarbonized and regenerative future. —Ed: Corrie S. Narisma
