Start at home: Simple steps toward a greener Philippines

MANILA, Philippines — Approximately 52,000 trees are lost every day in the Philippines due to factors such as illegal logging, slash-and-burn agriculture and land conversion. This is a major challenge that affects not only the environment and wildlife, but also the livelihoods of local communities.

It can be easy to feel overwhelmed by environmental issues and their impact on our world and think that there is nothing we can do. But that’s not true! There are ways we can help combat climate change and even support farmers’ livelihood—even small ways can make a big impact.

One way to start is with GForest. It allows you to plant real trees from the comfort of your home, while being part of a movement that's creating positive change in communities all around the Philippines.

GForest is GCash’s climate tech solution, an interactive platform that empowers users to contribute to sustainability through their daily use of GCash and its various features.

For every virtual tree planted in GForest, GCash, as a key funding partner, ensures that a real tree is planted on the user's behalf through its collaboration with local and international organizations.

These partners include the WWF, Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc., Friends of HOPE Inc., Silliman University, ABS-CBN Foundation Inc., and the Philippine Coffee Board Inc. These NGOs, alongside trained foresters and farmers, are responsible for planting and maintenance of the seedlings to ensure their survivability. 

Since its launch in 2019, GForest has grown significantly, with over 19 million registered users who have helped to plant more than 2.8 million actual trees. These trees cover 11,600 hectares of land and include a variety of agro-forest, fruit-bearing, mangrove and timber species. 

Through a science-based planting approach, GCash, with its partners, ensure that the trees are planted where they are most needed, aiding local ecosystems and communities in areas such as Benguet, Bulacan, Cavite, Cebu, Negros Oriental, Palawan, Quezon City and Soccsksargen.

Using GForest and planting real trees from the comfort of your own home is easy as following these five simple steps:

1. Click on “GForest” in your GCash Dashboard