Toyota backs tamaraw conservation
TOYOTA Motors Philippines Foundation operations manager Nelson Manglo (center) turns over the foundation’s P3-million donation to the Tamaraw Conservation Program, received by DENR-MIMAROPA regional executive director Felix Mirasol Jr. (left) and witnessed by MBCFI executive director Kathy Lene Cielo, with MBCFI serving as fund manager
Photograph courtesy of Toyota and TCP
Toyota Motor Philippines Corp. (TMP) is providing P3 million to support the continued protection and recovery of the critically endangered Tamaraw in Mindoro, as conservation efforts help push the species’ population higher.
The donation was made through the Toyota Motor Philippines Foundation (TMP Foundation) to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ Tamaraw Conservation Program (TCP).
The partnership was formalized through a memorandum of agreement signed by TMP Foundation, the DENR Tamaraw Conservation Program Office, and the Mindoro Biodiversity Conservation Foundation Inc. during the 2026 Tamaraw Fiesta in Calintaan, Occidental Mindoro, on 8 October.
The funding will support habitat monitoring and scientific research, training for barangay and Indigenous Peoples volunteers, public awareness activities, and improvements to the Tamaraw Research and Conservation Center.
A significant portion will go toward research and monitoring equipment for the facility, strengthening efforts to track and protect the species over the long term.
The latest support builds on a partnership between DENR and TMP Foundation established in December 2024 under the Next Generation Tamaraw initiative.
In 2025, TMP provided the conservation program with a Tamaraw utility vehicle for field operations and P500,000 worth of Bantay Tamaraw kits for rangers conducting patrols and monitoring activities.
The Tamaraw also carries significance for Toyota as the namesake of its iconic utility vehicle. TMP said its continued support reflects its broader efforts to contribute to communities as the company approaches three million cumulative vehicle sales in the Philippines.
The initiative is also aligned with Toyota’s Environmental Challenge 2050, particularly its goal of establishing a society in harmony with nature through biodiversity conservation.
The support comes as the TCP reports gains in the Tamaraw population. The 2026 Annual Tamaraw Population Count recorded 425 Tamaraws in the Mounts Iglit-Baco Natural Park, up from 380 in 2025.
The DENR attributed the increase to sustained habitat protection, scientific monitoring, law enforcement and community participation.