PBSP’s Save the Buhisan Watershed Project, launched in 2008, mobilized 17,000 volunteers to plant more than four million tree seedlings in over 1,670 hectares. —Contributed photo
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP), the largest business-led nongovernment organization in the country, addresses societal challenges at the intersection of corporate citizenship, sustainable development, and poverty reduction. A key focus for PBSP is leveraging the strengths of both the public and private sectors to create innovative, informed, and lasting solutions to environmental issues.
A highlight of PBSP’s ESG-related projects this year is the ongoing rehabilitation of the Marikina and Buhisan Watersheds.
In 2008, PBSP launched the Save the Buhisan Watershed Project to address the impending water shortage in Metro Cebu. Through the project, PBSP mobilized 17,000 volunteers to plant more than four million tree seedlings in over 1,670 hectares.
This was followed by the Marikina Watershed Initiative Program in 2010, which PBSP started as a response to the devastation caused by Tropical Storm “Ondoy” in 2009—an event that claimed hundreds of lives and caused extensive agricultural and infrastructural damage. The goal was to rehabilitate the watershed to prevent a similar tragedy in the future.
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As PBSP marks another year of rehabilitating the Marikina and Buhisan Watersheds, we continue to engage members, donors, local governments, and partner communities to support reforestation, rehabilitation, and protection efforts for these vital ecosystems.
This fiscal year alone, PBSP has planted more than 97,000 native and fruit-bearing trees across 72 hectares in Luzon’s Marikina and La Mesa Watersheds, as well as the Buhisan Watershed in Cebu. This brings a total of 860 hectares adopted by PBSP, working closely with 12 farmers and people’s organizations.
Similar smaller reforestation activities have also been carried out in various parts of Mindanao in collaboration with Mindanao-based PBSP members.
These initiatives not only provide additional sources of income but also raise awareness and empower the communities of PBSP’s partner farmers and people’s organizations. These activities also emphasize the importance of protecting these resources while ensuring a stable livelihood for families.
As PBSP celebrates its 54th anniversary this January 2025, the organization looks forward to evolving its ESG practices and continuing to engage stakeholders in sowing the seeds for a more climate-resilient future.
For additional information on how we can work together in Marikina and Buhisan Watersheds, email pbsp@pbsp.org.ph.