Colleagues of Manulife Philippines, the local arm of leading international financial services provider Manulife, prepared 1,000 native tree seedlings in Sto. Niño Integrated School, Tanay, Rizal last February, in partnership with Haribon Foundation, a pioneering environmental conservation organization. This is part of conservation efforts to protect the Sierra Madre mountain range, one of the most biodiverse-rich areas in the country and is known to be a natural barrier against typhoons that may hit Luzon.
This native tree seedling preparation initiative underscores Manulife’s commitment to accelerating a more sustainable future, aligned to our Impact Agenda.
“The Impact Agenda supports our commitment to environmental and financial stewardship, which helps us contribute to a better world. Through our partnership with the Haribon Foundation, we can actively put in the effort to restore forests in key areas like the Sierra Madre Mountain Range to improve soil nutrition and reduce the climate risks faced by our communities,” shared Rahul Hora, President and Chief Executive Officer, Manulife Philippines.
Arlie Endonila, Chief Operating Officer, Haribon Foundation, added: “Our partnership with Manulife Philippines highlights the importance of collaboration and shared responsibility to drive concrete action. Forest conservation requires a sustained, holistic effort from the private sector, non-government, and local communities to plant and tend to native trees, and propagate nurseries in the right places. We thank Manulife for the collaboration, which helps us protect and restore our country’s diverse ecosystems.”
Volunteers from Manulife Philippines, Haribon Foundation, and residents from Barangay Sto. Nino will plant the seedlings during the planting season from June to November 2025. To date, Manulife Philippines has planted 21,250 seedlings across 17 hectares of land in the provinces of Rizal, Zambales, and Quezon.