Daily TribuneThe endeavor kicked off, in collaboration with First Gen’s Create for the Climate program and in partnership with Communities Organized for Resource Allocation, a nonprofit organization that mobilizes volunteers to help address social and environmental challenges such as marine pollution and climate change.
FGEN volunteers join Freedom Island cleanup.
Photographs courtesy of FGen
Employees of leading renewable energy producer First Gen Corporation recently joined a coastal cleanup drive at the Freedom Island portion of the Las Piñas-Parañaque Wetland Park in Metro Manila as part of the Month of the Ocean celebration in the country.
The activity, coordinated by First Gen volunteers under their Employee POWER (EmPOWER) program, brought together employees and dependents from the First Gen Group and the broader Lopez Group community.
The endeavor kicked off in collaboration with First Gen’s Create for the Climate program and in partnership with Communities Organized for Resource Allocation, a nonprofit organization that mobilizes volunteers to help address social and environmental challenges such as marine pollution and climate change.
Internationally-recognized wetland
Located within the Las Piñas-Parañaque Wetland Park, Freedom Island forms part of an internationally recognized wetland and one of Metro Manila’s important remaining coastal ecosystems.
Its mangroves, mudflats and coastal habitats provide refuge for marine life and migratory birds, while also helping buffer nearby communities from flooding, storm surges, and other climate-related impacts.
Through the cleanup, volunteers helped remove marine litter from the shoreline while deepening their appreciation of the role of healthy coastal ecosystems in sustaining biodiversity, strengthening climate resilience and supporting nearby communities.
FIRST gen and Lopez Group volunteers join a coastal cleanup drive at the Freedom Island inside the Las Piñas-Parañaque Wetland Park as part of the Month of the Ocean celebration in the Philippines.
True environmental stewardship
“True environmental stewardship moves beyond awareness into meaningful action. Through efforts like this, we enjoin our employees, communities, and other stakeholders to safeguard the essential ecosystems that sustain us,” First Gen vice president Shirley Cruz said.
The coastal cleanup drive also reaffirmed First Gen’s continuing commitment to environmental stewardship by helping protect a vital coastal ecosystem that sustains biodiversity, strengthens climate resilience, and supports nearby communities.
Through the EmPOWER and Create for the Climate programs, the company continues to open opportunities for employees and communities to turn everyday action into meaningful impact.
This year’s cleanup gathered more than 63 volunteers, who helped remove 248.8 kilograms of waste from the coastal area.
The Month of the Ocean is observed in the Philippines under Presidential Proclamation No. 57, series of 1998, reminding Filipinos of the need to protect the country’s marine and coastal resources for present and future generations.
