Telco donates fund for nature

Globe Telecom further strengthened its environmental advocacy through a partnership with World Wildlife Fund–Philippines, starting with a donation of P1 million to WWF’s Philippine Fund for Nature.

Philippine Fund for Nature is designed to ensure long-term growth of the WWF-Philippines wide range of projects directed towards preserving the country’s natural resources. WWF Philippines aims to establish a special P200-million endowment fund for PFN.

“The major gift will not only help secure the financial sustainability of the organization but also enable us to sustain in the long run our key projects that help conserve our biodiversity and help mitigate the impact of human footprint on our environment. More importantly, it will help assure that future generations will enjoy a living planet,” WWF-Philippine chairman Vicente Perez told Globe president and chief executive officer Ernest Cu.

The financial support is just the beginning of a partnership between Globe and WWF – Philippines.

Aside from the donation, Globe, through its corporate social responsibility (CSR) arm Globe Bridging Communities (BridgeCom), is working closely with WWF in developing GCash Ecoturismo (GCash for nature), a program that will harness the use of GCash electronic cash transfer service for customers in local conservation and ecotourism sites.

GCash Ecoturismo allows travelers to purchase goods and services as well as withdraw funds from participating GCash outlets in the local communities where there are no automated teller machines or credit card facilities.

“Globe is fully aware that the effects of climate change can impact our network directly as its implications to society are felt more than ever. This is why we continue to work with various environmental organizations like WWF-Philippines in ensuring that we could protect our biodiversity. At the same time, we would like to tap GCash to directly help the community and environment conservation efforts around the Philippines,” said Globe CSR head Rob Nazal.

According to WWF’s latest Living Planet Report, global biodiversity dropped by 30 percent from 1970 to 2007 while global carbon footprint increased by over 30 percent since 1998. In the latest United Nations’ World Risk Index, the Philippines ranked third among the most disaster-vulnerable countries worldwide behind Tonga and Vanuatu.