Toyota Foundation pushes Mangrove Conservation in Ilocos Norte
FORMALITIES mark the signing of the coastal forest conservation agreement among TMP Foundation, MMSU, DENR-CENRO Bangui, and the Pasuquin local government. Shown are: (from left, front) DENR-Community Environment and Natural Resources Office Bangui Ecosystem Management specialist I Justine Rose Teneza, TMP Foundation president Jose Maria Aligada, MMSU president Dr. Virgilio Julius Manzano Jr., and Municipal Government of Pasuquin Environmental Protection Committee chair Romel Ranay, together with other TMP network officers and MMSU officials, during the signing of the memorandum of agreement for the Coastal Forest Conservation Project.
Photographs courtesy of Toyota Motor Philippines Foundation
Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) Foundation has taken on a new conservation effort in Ilocos Norte by adopting a mangrove area in the coastal barangay of Davila.
TEAM members gather at the Davila coastal site after completing the seedling planting activity.
The group launched its work on the site with a planting activity that brought together volunteers from the Toyota network, Mariano Marcos State University College of Industrial Technology, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the Pasuquin municipal government, and local residents.
The event gathered about 110 participants who planted 1,750 mangrove seedlings across a portion of the National Greening Program area.
The site has seen years of decline due to human activity, which has affected both the environment and the livelihoods connected to the coastal ecosystem. The planting activity became the opening move for a larger two-year rehabilitation plan.
A tripartite agreement between TMP Foundation, MMSU, and the local government formalized the adoption of the two-hectare site. The target is to plant 3,500 Lapis-lapis and Arinaya seedlings by the end of the project period.
TMP Foundation president Jose Maria Aligada said the initiative aims to rebuild the natural defenses of the community and reinforce support for environmental protection.
He added that the effort encourages shared responsibility among government, academe, private partners, and residents in keeping the mangrove forest healthy.
The program includes monthly financial support for a registered People’s Organization that will handle the monitoring and maintenance of the mangroves. The compensation covers regular checks on seedling survival and general upkeep of the area.
The Ilocos Norte project marks the expansion of the All Toyota Green Wave initiative outside CALABARZON. TMP Foundation has been contributing to Toyota’s global environmental goals, including the target of nurturing one million trees by 2030.
The group has several ongoing conservation and education efforts, such as forest programs in Laguna, biodiversity work for the Tamaraw, and aquatic ecosystem conservation efforts across the country.
Aligada noted that the 3,500-seedling target reflects the Foundation’s 35th anniversary, calling the project “3,500 hopes for the environment.” He said the Foundation looks forward to continued work with its partners in restoring the coastal habitat and creating long-term gains for the community and the environment.