West Zone concessionaire Maynilad Water Services, Inc. (Maynilad) has kicked off its 2025 “Plant for Life” program with an ambitious goal of planting 180,000 native trees across the Ipo and other critical watersheds this year.
The initiative highlights Maynilad’s commitment to long-term water security, biodiversity conservation, and climate resilience.
The program began with a large-scale planting activity at the Ipo Watershed in Norzagaray, Bulacan, which plays a crucial role in protecting the Angat-Ipo water system—the main raw water source for Metro Manila. Volunteers from private sector partners, civil society groups, media organizations, and local communities joined Maynilad in the event, including representatives from the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) and sister companies within the MVP Group.
“Watershed reforestation is crucial to safeguarding the region’s water resources,” Maynilad Chief Sustainability Officer Atty. Roel Espiritu said. “Trees improve water infiltration, prevent soil erosion, and reduce sedimentation in dams, ultimately ensuring water quality and supply reliability for our 10.5 million customers. Just as important, this program helps restore local biodiversity and creates sustainable livelihood opportunities for nearby communities.”
Since its launch in 2007, Plant for Life has planted over 1.45 million trees across nearly 2,000 hectares, expanding beyond Ipo and La Mesa to include the Kaliwa watershed, mangrove belts along Manila Bay, and areas near Laguna Lake.
To ensure high survival rates, Maynilad engages Dumagat community members and local groups as forest stewards. These stakeholders handle nursery operations, monitoring, replanting, and forest protection under a structured three-year care program—providing both environmental and socio-economic benefits. As a result, the program sustains 80% survival rate while helping improve livelihoods.
Current reforested areas 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 environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals.
Maynilad is the largest private water concessionaire in the Philippines in terms of customer base. It is a concessionaire of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) for the West Zone of the Greater Manila Area, which is composed of Manila (certain portions), Quezon City (certain portions), Makati (west of South Super Highway), Caloocan, Pasay, Parañaque, Las Piñas, Muntinlupa, Valenzuela, Navotas, and Malabon, all in Metro Manila; the cities of Cavite, Bacoor, and Imus, and the municipalities of Kawit, Noveleta, and Rosario, all in Cavite. (PR)
