Insider Spotlight
What’s happening
TMP Foundation formally adopted a National Greening Program (NGP) reforestation site in Barangay Davila, mobilizing about one hundred ten volunteers from the Toyota network, Mariano Marcos State University, DENR-CENRO Bangui, MENRO, and the local community to plant 1,750 mangrove seedlings.
The activity marked the signing of a tripartite agreement among TMP Foundation, MMSU, and the municipal government of Pasuquin.
Why it matters
The initiative is part of Toyota’s broader pledge to nurture one million trees by 2030 under its global All Toyota Green Wave Project.
The Pasuquin effort expands the foundation’s footprint beyond Calabarzon, where Toyota has already adopted 228 hectares of NGP sites.
By the numbers
Under the two-year Memorandum of Agreement, TMP Foundation and partners will plant 3,500 seedlings of native mangrove species—Lapis-lapis and Arinaya—across two hectares of coastal land.
A local People’s Organization will receive monthly compensation for monitoring and maintenance activities to ensure long-term survival of the trees.
Driving the effort
“This project seeks to empower local communities, enhance stakeholder capacities, and promote shared stewardship of these coastal forests,” Jose Maria Aligada, president of the TMP Foundation, said in a press release on Dec. 5, 2025.
State of the coast
The NGP site is a mangrove forest that has deteriorated due to human activities, resulting in habitat loss for marine species and weakened coastal protection.
According to DENR-CENRO Bangui, rehabilitating mangroves supports disaster risk reduction and strengthens fisheries by creating healthier breeding grounds. Mangroves also serve as significant carbon sinks, aiding efforts toward carbon neutrality.
Bigger picture
TMP Foundation anchors the program under its environment advocacy pillar, which also includes biodiversity conservation in Mindoro, aquatic ecosystem protection, and environmental education.
The initiative aligns with Toyota’s global Challenge 6 under the Toyota Environmental Challenge 2050—establishing a society in harmony with nature.
The bottom line
With its Ilocos Norte expansion, TMP Foundation is steering corporate-led ecological rehabilitation toward deeper community engagement—showing how mangrove restoration can deliver climate, livelihood, and biodiversity gains in one integrated effort. —Vanessa Hidalgo | Ed: Corrie S. Narisma
