Oktreeberfest 2023: GMEC-GNPD plants trees for a better future

Pursuing their goal of contributing to the environment and the community where they operate, GNPower Mariveles Energy Center Ltd. Co (GMEC) and GNPower Dinginin Ltd. Co. (GNPD) together with the Municipal Environment and Natural Resources of Mariveles held the annual tree planting activity ‘Oktreeberfest’ at Mt. Tarak in Barangay Alas-Asin in Mariveles, Bataan on Oct. 18.

With the theme “Aksyon Para Sa Kalikasan,” around 50 employees of GMEC and GNPD volunteered in the second year of this annual event. Last year’s activity was held at the wooded area of the “I LoveMariveles” standee at the Zigzag Road also in Alas-Asin.

This year, the volunteers planted more than 400 samplings of Narra trees on the site. GMEC adopts 109 hectares of forest land in Mt. Tarak, while GNPD takes care of about 130 hectares of woodland on the same mountain.

GMEC-GNPD total rewards and system analytics manager Clarence Luna graced the event and encouraged the participants to continue to volunteer in environmental initiatives, especially tree planting.

“We always support causes like this because it not only helps the environment, but it also helps

the community. Let’s plant a tree with pride and dignity,” Luna said.

The activity is part of the companies’ flagship corporate social responsibility (CSR) program called PROGRESS under the “R” or Reforest Land arm.

GMEC and GNPD believe that planting trees increases the resilience of ecosystems, helps minimize climate change effects and gives the government and the people time to adapt to changing climate conditions. Furthermore, planting native seedlings in ecologically appropriate areas can also improve air quality, conserve water resources, and counteract soil and biodiversity loss, which ultimately progresses the host community’s health and well-being.

World Resources Institute said that forests absorb twice as much carbon as they emit each year. According to their report, from 2001 to 2019, the world’s forests provided a “carbon sink” of a net 7.6 billion metric tons of CO2 per year, which is 1.5 times more than the United States emits annually.

Thus, planting trees is essential to mitigate climate change and improve the overall quality