Metrobank advances care for the environment by planting 3500 mangroves

Written by Laarnie Luna on December 1, 2023. Posted in Disaster Response, Grants, Media, News, Press Release

Metropolitan Bank and Trust Co.and Metrobank Foundation volunteers planting mangrove propagules as part of Toyota’s Greenwave Project

Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co. (Metrobank) lent a helping hand in planting 3500 mangrove propagules in Calatagan, Batangas last June 17, July 15 and August 26 of the year 2023.

In partnership with Metrobank Foundation, Inc. (MBFI), the corporate social responsibility arm of Metrobank Group, and Toyota Motor Philippines, the mangrove reforestation project served as a volunteerism opportunity for employees to help address environmental issues surrounding climate change and environmental conservation.

Bannered under its social response program ‘Helping Hands,’ 60 volunteers from the bank’s Branch Banking Sector (BBS) and 30 volunteers from the General Services Group (GSG) made their way to the Mangrove Protected Area Site in Batangas, where they planted Avicennia mangrove propagules supplied by Lian Fisher Folk Association, Inc.

Greening our coastlines

The tree-planting activity made use of Avicennia mangrove propagules, which are native trees that promote carbon sequestration, coastal protection, biodiversity improvement, and livelihood security. Compared to terrestrial forests, mangrove sites store ten times more carbon from the atmosphere and are part of coastal defense lines against storm surges that put fishing communities at risk.

Metrobank Foundation executive vice president Philip Dy participating in the mangrove planting activity

The Mangrove Protected Area Site is an 8-hectare national greening space in Barangay Talisay, Calatagan, Batangas, adopted by Toyota Motor Philippines in partnership with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources through CENRO Calaca. The area is part of Verde Island Passage which is the center of a marine shorefish biodiversity in the world. Within the 5-year adoption program, a total of 16,000 mangrove propagules will be planted at the protected area.

Advancing environmental conservation, the volunteerism activity is part of two larger goals: supporting government’s National Greening Program, targeting to plant 1.5 billion trees, and achieving Toyota’s Environmental Challenge 2050 Challenge 6 with the objective to “establish a society in harmony with nature.” Aside from afforestation activities, the Toyota Greenwave Project, the flagship program to address Environmental Challenge 2050, also involves partnerships with NGO and environmental awareness training and seminars.

Metrobank volunteers at the mangrove protected area site

The set of mangrove planting activities is a follow-through of the feeding program conducted from April to May in partnership with Caritas Manila to promote the value of volunteerism among Metrobankers.