People marked 2025 World Cleanup Day (WCD) this weekend with another collective display of planet-caring activities.

The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 20 September as WCD on 8 December 2023 to promote the shared responsibility of protecting the planet from pollution. Internationally, WCD observance focuses on fashion and textile waste, another menace to the oceans and threat to marine life. The fashion industry generates 92 million tons of textile waste each year, overwhelming waste systems, polluting waterways, and fueling the climate crisis, according to UN-Habitat.

Meanwhile, highlighting WCD in the Philippines, as usual, were the coastal clean-ups across the country organized by government agencies, local government units, non-government organizations and businesses. Supporting the cause were millions of volunteers who lent their hands by removing litter on beaches, mangroves, rivers and creeks.

Alternative to coastal clean-ups during WCD were tree planting drives to which Maynilad Water Services Inc. (Maynilad) is a major supporter.

For the largest water concessionaire in the country in terms of customer base, reforestation is one strategy in advancing its environmental sustainability goals and meeting clients’ needs.

Maynilad continued to expand its Plant for Life reforestation initiative, which rehabilitates upland watersheds and coastal areas that are critical to Metro Manila’s raw water supply.

Since the program’s launch in 2007, it has planted more than 1.4 million trees and mangroves across approximately 1,968 hectares.

To ensure high survival rates of planted seedlings, Maynilad engages Dumagat community members and local groups as forest stewards, who handle nursery operations, monitoring, replanting and forest protection. The works, including site maintenance, serve as their livelihood.

This year, Plant for Life targets planting 180,000 native trees across the Ipo watershed in Norzagaray, Bulacan and other critical rainforests.

Maynilad chief sustainability officer Atty. Roel S. Espiritu says planting over a million trees, aside from cutting water losses, proves how ESG (environmental, social and governmental) principles translate into real benefits for customers and communities.

Current reforested areas under the Plant for Life are estimated to sequester approximately 25,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually, contributing to climate mitigation and aligning with Maynilad’s broader sustainability and ESG goals.

All reforestation efforts not only help mitigate weather disasters driven by global warming and protect biodiversity but also sustain water resources. Watersheds collect, store and release water through natural processes. Forest canopies, grass and soil capture and absorb part of rainfall. Water seeps into the ground refilling aquifers or get stored temporarily in wetlands, ponds and soil. The soil and rocks act like a sponge, holding water and slowly releasing it into streams, rivers and springs.

Protecting and sustaining watersheds is one of the nine pillars of Maynilad’s sustainability program, which also includes waste reduction and recycling as well as responsible wastewater management.

Maynilad has expanded its sewer network infrastructure to 653.7 kilometers as of the first half of 2025 — up from only 425 kilometers in place before the company’s re-privatization in 2006. This expansion supports the ongoing development of wastewater facilities aimed at improving sanitation and reducing pollution across the West Zone concession area.

Also, Maynilad operates 24 Water Reclamation Facilities across its concession area, with a combined treatment capacity of 743.5 million liters per day.

Meanwhile, the Plant for Life program received a Silver Award for Sustainable Ecosystems and Biodiversity Conservation at the Inquirer ESG EDGE Impact Awards 2025, a new initiative honoring organizations with outstanding ESG performance.

Maynilad’s non-revenue water (NRW) program also earned a Gold award in the Environmental category.

The company continues to reduce NRW across its operations to create operational efficiencies and ensure water security in the region. Since 2008, over 538,000 leaks were repaired, over 4,500 kilometers of pipes were replaced, and more than 1,100 pressure regulating valves were installed under its NRW program.