Maynilad targets 180,000 trees to protect vital watersheds

Maynilad Water Services, Inc. has launched its 2025 “Plant for Life” program with an ambitious target: to plant 180,000 native trees this year across vital watersheds, particularly the Ipo Watershed in Norzagaray, Bulacan. The initiative underscores the company’s commitment to water security, biodiversity conservation, and climate resilience in the Greater Manila Area.

The tree-planting campaign kicked off with a large-scale activity at the Ipo Watershed, a key component of the Angat-Ipo-La Mesa system that supplies raw water to Metro Manila. Volunteers from partner organizations, civil society, media, local communities, and representatives from the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) joined Maynilad employees and sister companies from the MVP Group in the event.

“Watershed reforestation is crucial to safeguarding the region’s water resources,” said Maynilad Chief Sustainability Officer Atty. Roel S. Espiritu. “Trees improve water infiltration, prevent soil erosion, and reduce sedimentation in dams, ultimately ensuring water quality and supply reliability for our 10.5 million customers. Just as important, this program helps restore local biodiversity and creates sustainable livelihood opportunities for nearby communities.”

Since its inception in 2007, the “Plant for Life” program has planted over 1.45 million trees across nearly 2,000 hectares. Initially focused on Ipo and La Mesa, the program has since expanded to include the Kaliwa watershed, mangrove areas along Manila Bay, and zones near Laguna Lake.

To maintain high survival rates, Maynilad partners with local stakeholders — especially the Dumagat communities — who serve as forest stewards. They oversee nursery operations, monitoring, replanting, and forest protection under a three-year care plan. This approach ensures an average 80 percent survival rate while also offering income-generating opportunities for residents.

Current reforested areas are estimated to sequester approximately 25,000 metric tons of CO₂ annually, supporting the company’s climate change mitigation goals and broader Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) agenda.

Maynilad is the largest private water concessionaire in the Philippines, serving over 10 million customers in the West Zone of the Greater Manila Area — including parts of Metro Manila and several cities and municipalities in Cavite.