West Zone concessionaire Maynilad Water Services, Inc. (Maynilad) has planted a total of 130,000 trees in 2017 as part of its “Plant for Life” program, which aims to save vital watersheds from denudation.
Also done in support of Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System’s “Annual Million Tree Challenge”, the “Plant for Life” program involves tapping volunteers to do reforestation and afforestation activities. In 2017 alone, over 1,463 volunteers from Maynilad and its partner organizations planted a total of 116,000 indigenous trees at the Ipo Watershed in Bulacan, 2,000 saplings in Muntinlupa, and 12,000 mangrove propagules along the Manila Bay coastline in Cavite Province.
“Our ‘Plant for Life’ Program seeks to protect forest cover so that the watersheds, which sustain our water supply needs, will stay healthy and balanced. This year, we’re looking into expanding the program’s coverage to other areas, particularly in Malabon City where we target to plant about 50,000 mangrove propagules,†said Maynilad President and CEO Ramoncito S. Fernandez.
Since the program’s inception in 2007, Maynilad has already planted over 436,000 saplings—using indigenous trees like narra, cupang, camachile, and acacia—at the Ipo Watershed. Moreover, a total of 107,500 mangrove propagules have already been planted in the Cavite coastal areas since 2013.
Maynilad’s “Plant for Life†program welcomes volunteers who wish to plant trees in these watershed areas. Interested parties may call the company’s Environmental Management Department at 981-3484 to inquire about the schedule and requirements.
Maynilad is the largest private water concessionaire in the Philippines in terms of customer base. It is the agent and contractor of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) for the West Zone of the Greater Manila Area, which is composed of the cities of Manila (certain portions), Quezon City (certain portions), Makati (west of South Super Highway), Caloocan, Pasay, Parañaque, Las Piñas, Muntinlupa, Valenzuela, Navotas and Malabon all in Metro Manila; the cities of Cavite, Bacoor and Imus, and the towns of Kawit, Noveleta and Rosario, all in Cavite Province.