Digital action, real impact: GCash GForest and UPLB partner to plant 135,000 native trees for Sierra Madre restoration

The Sierra Madre mountain range is the Philippines’ protection from severe typhoons, heavy rains, and floods from the Pacific Ocean. Stretching over 500 kilometers, the mountain range serves as a protection for the Filipino people from Cagayan in the north to Quezon province in the south, including those in Metro Manila.

However, information from the Haribon Foundation notes that this approximately 1.4 million hectares of forest is disappearing at a rate of 9,000 hectares per year, mainly due to illegal logging, mining, and quarrying, making floods and landslides more frequent. As a result, the private and public sectors have undertaken reforestation efforts to restore lost forests.

One such project is GCash’s in-app platform, GForest, which enables users to contribute to various environmental projects on their phones. Supported by more than 25 million registered users, as of today, the Philippines’ leading financial superapp campaign has led to the planting of more than 4.2 million trees covering more than 18,000 hectares of land, supporting both reforestation and agroforestry projects while providing a livelihood to more than 15,000 farmers and foresters.

In its latest effort, GForest has partnered with the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), in a broad partnership that supports multi-year forest regeneration, research, and community-based livelihood development within the Sierra Madre Land Reserve.

“We are very happy when people come to visit this place. It helps to raise awareness because people who come here talk about the place. Therefore, it is easy for us to promote the restoration of the place,” said Dean Marlo D. Mendoza, who oversees the place, at the UPLB College of Forestry and Natural Resources.

The partnership aims to plant trees on at least 250 hectares of land grants using about 135,000 native seedlings, as some species cannot be mixed, and another 25,000 seedlings to plant in cities covering 10 kilometers of road.

The manager of UPLB noted that this project is considered practical, and is used in practical situations. He believes that projects of this type should be considered taking into account the entire value chain, from the collection, planting, care, processing, and marketing of products from the land grant.

“In terms of impact, we are looking for communities that will reduce their dependence on illegal forest-based or wood-based activities, because, in this case, we will deliver, plant, and process, and, in all aspects of the value chain, communities will have conversations.” Mr. Mendoza said.

GForest, through collaboration with its local and international planting partners, has provided livelihoods to more than 15,000 farmers and their families across the Philippines. Eleven additional foresters from all walks of life will be working on the Sierra Madre reforestation project, all from surrounding areas.

One of the workers, Harold Den, has worked in the forest most of his life, clearing land and planting trees for a living. Another worker, Mark Alex Pacis, who is a father of two children, says that this job was the main source of income for his family. Coming from the youth, Jack Lawrence Balsindan, 21, has learned the ropes, he has been working in the forest for one month.

Despite their different backgrounds, the community knows the importance of their work and has even emphasized the need to plant more trees to avoid natural disasters and reverse the effects of global warming.

“Ability to receive emergency assistance landslide, pagbaha, ‘tsaka’yung climate change… For more information endangered species like that (Planting is important to prevent landslides and floods, and because climate change has happened. It also helps protect endangered species here),” Mr. Pasis said.

Apart from its environmental impact, the project also provides an important source of livelihood for local farmers like those mentioned above, who see it as a means of livelihood and a long-term opportunity for their families.

“Mahalaga ‘to para sa’kin kasi ito kinakabuhay kon, para sa pamilya ko, para sa mga katraboha ko. Ito po ay very important to us dahil ito po ay bigay sakin na trabaho para mapakain ko ang aking paliyama, ‘tsaka po pang-matagalan po kasi ito (This is important to me because that’s what I do for a living now – for my family and the people I work with. It is very important to me because the job was given to me so that I could provide food for my family, and it is a long-term thing),” Mr. Pasis explained.

As local farmers find meaning and livelihoods in restoring the Sierra Madre, GCash continues to deepen its commitment to sustainability by recognizing that every tree planted nurtures communities and strengthens the country’s resilience to climate challenges.

“Supporting the Sierra Madre is not just a GCash project; it is a shared responsibility. It protects millions of Filipinos from floods and typhoons, including our users. For us, this is about managing our industries and building national resilience. With GForest, we transform every digital action into an environmental impact,” Moya Ganzon, Head of Impact Innovations, GCash Innovations, said

The act of planting trees goes beyond placing seedlings in the ground; it is a journey of growth, where roots are held to be strong, permanent, and grounded in purpose. Just as trees grow to strengthen the Sierra Madre landscape, GCash focuses on its message, focusing on sustainability, community, and innovation.

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