Toyota Philippines gives P3M to save Mindoro tamaraw

Toyota Motor Philippines is providing P3 million to support conservation efforts for the critically endangered tamaraw in Mindoro.

The donation, coursed through the Toyota Motor Philippines Foundation, will support the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ Tamaraw Conservation Program.

The partnership was formalized during the 2026 Tamaraw Fiesta in Calintaan, Occidental Mindoro, through an agreement among the Toyota foundation, DENR-Tamaraw Conservation Program Office and Mindoro Biodiversity Conservation Foundation Inc.

The fund will support habitat monitoring, scientific research, training for barangay and Indigenous Peoples volunteers, public awareness programs and improvements to the Tamaraw Research and Conservation Center.

Part of the donation will also be used to provide research and monitoring equipment for the facility.

Toyota has supported the program since 2024. In 2025, the company donated a Tamaraw utility vehicle for field operations and P500,000 worth of equipment for Bantay Tamaraw rangers.

The automaker said the animal holds particular significance for the company as the namesake of its Toyota Tamaraw utility vehicle.

The latest support comes as the tamaraw population in Mounts Iglit-Baco Natural Park continues to recover.

The 2026 Annual Tamaraw Population Count recorded 425 animals, up from 380 in 2025.

DENR attributed the increase to sustained habitat protection, scientific monitoring, law enforcement and community participation.

The tamaraw (Bubalus mindorensis) is a wild buffalo found only on Mindoro and remains classified as critically endangered.