GCash and Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI) mangrove planting site in San Remigio, Cebu
CEBU, Philippines – Through a focus on tree-planting initiatives that create sustainable livelihoods, GCash, in partnership with the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI), is addressing the dual challenge of environmental conservation and income-generating opportunities for farmers and fisherfolk in Cebu.
These projects form part of GForest, GCash’s climate tech solution that turns everyday digital transactions into tree planting efforts, supporting the restoration of local ecosystems in various areas in the country.
Since 2021, more than 1.4 million mangroves and highland trees have been planted across Cebu through the “One to Tree” program of RAFI in partnership with GForest.
Through the initiatives of the One to Tree program, 800,000 mangrove seedlings have been planted in the municipalities of Daanbantayan, San Remigio, and Medellin, located along the Tañon Strait — the largest marine protected area in the Philippines under the National Integrated Protected Area System.
Mangroves are essential not only for preventing coastal erosion and protecting biodiversity but also for mitigating the risks of natural disasters like storm surges and flooding. Additionally, they provide food security for local communities and help maintain water quality by filtering nutrients, sediment, and trash.
“At RAFI, we believe that a balanced, thriving environment is essential to building resilient, prosperous, and vibrant communities. With GCash as our partner, we’re making meaningful strides toward a greener, more sustainable tomorrow. Since our project started in 2021, we are able to grow more than a million seedlings both upland and mangroves and equipped 648 farmers and fisherfolk with the tools and support they need to thrive,” said Estee Marie Plunket, RAFI’s Chief Partnerships Officer.
Livelihood Opportunities for Farmers
Aside from planting mangroves, RAFI and GCash planted over 600,000 native trees, including bangkal, mamalis, molave and narra, as well as a variety of fruit-bearing trees such as avocado, cacao and rambutan.
Through these efforts and GCash’s new GFarm program, the trained farmers who manage and cultivate these areas are given the opportunity to sell the fruits of the trees, providing stable income that significantly improves their livelihood.
One of the beneficiaries, Mang Renante, has experienced firsthand the positive impact of this project on his community’s welfare.
“Malaki aking pasasalamat sa RAFI at GCash kasi mga kasamahan ko, mga miyembro sa aming association nabigyan sila ng pangangailangan,” he shares. (“I’m very grateful to RAFI and GCash because my fellow members in our association have received the support they needed.”)
Renante Sumotia, PO President: NAGMATA (Nagkahi-usang Mananagat sa Tambongon)
“Nag tatanim na lang ng mangroves, ngayon marami na sila nabili na motor boats, nakapagpatayo kami ng mga cottages.” (“From planting mangroves, they’ve now been able to buy motorboats, and we’ve even built cottages.”)
These efforts have also brought both environmental and economic benefits to Cebu’s coastal communities, as reflected in the experience of Michael, a fisherman helping manage the project in San Remigio.
He describes the transformation: “Sa tulong ng aming mga tanim, sariwa ang hangin na lumalabas sa amin at marami na rin mga isda sa karagatan dahil sa project na ito, mga mangroves. At tsaka lalong lalo na sa financial, malaki na ang naitulong ng GCash parati sa amin dahil nadagdagan ang income namin mangingisda.” (“Through the trees we are planting, the air around us is fresher, and we’ve seen more fish in the ocean thanks to this project, especially the mangroves. GCash has also made a big difference for us, helping our income as fishermen grow.”)
Michael Miscala, Treasurer: (VCBRMA) Victoria Community Based Resource Management Association
RAFI fisherfolk orient GCash partner influencers on the process of the planting site
Be part of the movement today with GForest
Thanks to GForest, millions of Filipinos have the opportunity to be a green hero for the environment. As of Nov 2024, 19.7M Filipinos have joined the movement to plant trees. Through users’ everyday transactions on the GCash app, such as cashing in, sending money, paying bills, or even registering up to 20,000 steps per day, they can earn green energy points to plant digital trees, which in turn will be converted into actual trees by GCash and its partners.
With GForest, tree planting is made easy; earn energy points with every GCash transaction and turn them into real trees. Start today by downloading the GCash app available on the Google Play Store and App Store.
