4 million trees and counting: Planting partners and GForest “Green Heroes” work together to restore ecosystems and support the livelihood of communities

GForest, the in-app tech platform created by GCash to empower users to contribute to various environmental initiatives, its planting partners and 21 million GForest “Green Heroes” active users, have planted a monumental 4 million trees in 2024. This milestone has advanced the ecological and socioeconomic impact of reforestation and agroforestry projects carried out in partnership with the ABS-CBN Foundation, Culion Foundation, Friends of Hope, Inc., the Philippine Coffee Board, Inc. (PCBI), Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. (RAFI), Silliman University, and The World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

GForest “Green Heroes” active users and its environmental partners have planted a 4 million trees in 2024

GForest is a digital eco movement where anyone can help the environment and empower local communities with just a few taps on their phones. GCash users can plant virtual trees by converting green energy points that they earn from in-app digital transactions (such as paying bills, sending money, or buying load). Actual, corresponding native and indigenous trees are planted by environmental partners in key areas across the country, with the planting sites also maintained by members of local communities to support their livelihoods.

This achievement marks the success of a multi-stakeholder model where conservation experts, environmental organizations, local communities, and GForest app users can all significantly contribute to environmental efforts through climate technology, as they play a role in boosting the livelihoods of Filipino farmers.

“GForest is a key innovation within GCash that’s simple, easy, and accessible, allowing us to use tech for good to empower every Filipino to be part of the solution,” says CJ Alegre, GCash head for sustainability. “Environmental conservation is a shared responsibility, so it is amazing to see the significant strides we can make together to promote sustainability and combat climate change. We look forward to building on this strong foundation.”

As of 2024, 21 million active GForest users have contributed to planting 4,033,854 trees spanning 14,364 hectares, in partnership with six nationwide planting partners, and empowering and benefitting over 11,244 local farmers across the Philippines, including smallholder farmer families.

Joining forces: science and tech for good

Crucial to the success of GForest are the science-based strategies and local community engagement developed through the expertise of key environmental partners: WWF-Philippines, ABS-CBN Foundation, Philippine Coffee Board, Inc. (PCBI), Friends of Hope, Inc., Culion Foundation, Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI), and Silliman University.

To ensure environmentally sound activities and the long-term survival of species, these organizations have meticulously selected the correct species for each planting site, abiding by the highest environmental standards. The diverse species planted include mangroves, native trees, fruit-bearing trees, and coffee, each contributing uniquely to ecological protection and community development.

Driving change through key partnerships

Since 2018, GForest and WWF have planted 220,000 trees (including yakal, dungon, and narra) in the Ipo Watershed, reinforcing the Angat-Umiray-Ipo watersheds system that supplies roughly 96% of the water needs of Metro Manila.

In 2023, GForest and the ABS-CBN Foundation successfully cultivated 180 hectares of land with seedlings, as part of the La Mesa Watershed project—resulting in 160,000 trees planted, including lipote, lago, malapapaya, and yakal.

GForest also launched collaborations with Philippine Coffee Board, Inc. (PCBI) and Friends of Hope, Inc. Through PCBI, native coffee tree seedlings were planted in Cavite and Benguet to support local livelihoods. The agroforestry program with Friends of Hope, Inc., meanwhile, benefits over 7,300 smallholder farmers and their families.

In Palawan, GForest and Culion Foundation, Inc. are focused on advancing environmental sustainability through restoration and education. Through their partnership, 325,000 mangroves have been planted in 15 barangays in Coron and Culion since 2022.

In Negros Oriental, GForest and Silliman University have been mobilizing a five-year joint project to mitigate the effects of climate change and support biodiversity. Since partnering in 2023, they have planted 180,000 mangroves and beach trees in the Negros region.

In 2024, GForest and RAFI celebrated the success of their four-year reforestation initiative in Cebu, having planted 800,000 mangroves that year alone and bringing the total number of trees planted through their partnership to 1,400,000.

Fostering thriving local communities

Community empowerment is another key component of GForest’s sustainability efforts. As all planting partners connect with local community groups and People’s Organizations (POs), livelihood opportunities are incorporated into each project. This is where local farmers and fisherfolk play an integral role in planting and maintaining seedlings, plants, and trees.

For many, this initiative provides an additional annual income of up to PHP 25,000, serving as a significant livelihood stream to support local communities. In addition, all proceeds from planting activities go directly to the farmers and fisherfolk involved, with no profit gained by the organizations. This advocacy model not only bolsters the financial independence of members of rural communities but also opens up new avenues of economic growth.

CJ Alegre shares, “At GCash, our goal is to continue harnessing tech for good to support this green cycle—through the way GForest enables our app users, how we engage our planting partners, and in the upliftment of the communities that contribute to the cause.”

For more information about GForest and other sustainability initiatives, please visit www.gcash.com.