Encouraged by the successful planting of some 9 million trees the past eight years in critical watershed areas in various parts of the country, including Metro Manila, the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS), Million Trees Foundation Inc. (MTFI) and other private partners are targeting to plant 15 million trees more by 2030.
Melandrew Velasco, MTFI president, told the Philippine News Agency that private institutional partners, notably San Miguel Corp., Maynilad Water Services Inc. and Manila Water Co. Inc., were honored during a Recognition and Awarding Ceremonies at the Celebrity Club in Quezon City on July 2.
The occasion coincides with the 2025 A Million Trees Challenge (AMTC) pledging session.
Invited as keynote speaker was Acting Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Raphael Lotilla.
Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte is also expected to promote the local government’s One Million Trees Project by 2028
Launched in 2017, AMTC has been consistent in meeting its target of one million trees planted yearly. Watersheds that benefit from the project are Angat, Ipo, La Mesa, Upper Marikina, Wawa, Kaliwa and Laguna Lake.
In last year’s pledging session, 31 partners of MTFI committed to plant more than two million trees nationwide.
