Healing Manila’s Green Lung – Forvis Mazars Philippines 18th anniversary La Mesa Watershed tree-planting
Forvis Mazars partnered with the ABS-CBN Foundation for our 18th Anniversary. We planted over 400 trees to help rehabilitate Metro Manila’s “Green Lung”, the La Mesa Watershed, and practice our advocacy of growing sustainability for the community and the environment.
Metro Manila is one of the most urbanized cities in the Philippines and is labelled as the second most densely populated region in the county thanks to its over 14 million citizens. The city has faced certain issues over the years due to its large population, one of the most consistent problems it faces is water shortages. Local news stations reported that more than 600,000 households in Metro Manila are experiencing water supply shortages (1). This emphasizes the importance of healthy and easily accessible water to Metro Manila citizens.
The La Mesa Watershed is a Major water source of the city. It is also famously known as the “Green Lung of Metro Manila,” due to being responsible for absorbing 3-5% of the city’s carbon emissions. Unfortunately, it is now the only rainforest of its size in the area – it covers 6,570 acres of land and is host to multiple ecosystems with unique flora and fauna.
The watershed fell victim to illegal deforestation activities in the past, which reduced its capacity to efficiently generate water. So, we decided to partner with the management of the watershed to help contribute to its rehabilitation process.
Our team traveled to the site on Forvis Mazars in the Philippines’ anniversary on June 3, 2023. Upon reaching our target areas, over sixty Mazarian attendees coordinated and managed to plant around four hundred (400) trees in the rainforest. Each tree is planted with a hope, a hope that it would one day be a provider of clean air and water to the Filipino citizens of tomorrow – a living legacy we pass on to the generations after us.
We were among the first private companies to conduct a reforestation activity at La Mesa Watershed this year, kicking off the tree-planting season that began in June of 2023.
The activity not only benefited the rainforest but also left a positive impact on the Mazarians who participated in it. One of our team members noted, “Although I will never see the results of what I’ve done today, my children and their children after-that will benefit from this, I’m glad to be of help to the next generation.”
Another added that “I did not expect a long hike to get to the location, but planting trees together with everyone was a great team-building experience and helping the community around the area is a great motivation when you are feeling tired.”
We aim to continue creating an impact on communities and the environment by promoting sustainability.
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