GCash, in partnership with the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI), is championing sustainable development in Cebu by integrating tree-planting initiatives with livelihood opportunities for farmers and fisherfolk.
These projects are part of GForest, GCash’s climate tech solution that converts digital transactions into tree-planting efforts, restoring ecosystems and supporting local communities.
Why It Matters: Environmental conservation often intersects with economic challenges. Through this initiative, GCash and RAFI address both by fostering a healthier environment while creating stable incomes for communities reliant on natural resources.
Key Achievements
Since 2021, the partnership has led to the planting of over 1.4 million mangroves and highland trees in Cebu under RAFI’s “One to Tree” program.
- Mangrove Planting:
- 800,000 mangrove seedlings have been planted in Daanbantayan, San Remigio, and Medellin along the Tañon Strait, the Philippines’ largest marine protected area.
- Mangroves mitigate natural disasters, prevent coastal erosion, and enhance biodiversity while supporting food security and maintaining water quality.
- Highland Tree Planting:
- Over 600,000 native and fruit-bearing trees have been planted, including molave, narra, avocado, and cacao.
- Livelihood Benefits:
- Through GCash’s GFarm program, trained farmers can sell fruit harvests from these trees, generating income and improving living standards.
As of November 2024, 19.7 million Filipinos have joined GForest, contributing to tree planting through GCash transactions. Users earn green energy points for actions like paying bills, sending money, and completing up to 20,000 daily steps. These points are used to plant digital trees, which GCash and its partners transform into actual trees.
Through partnerships like this, GCash and RAFI showcase how technology and community engagement can tackle environmental and economic challenges. Download the GCash app today and turn your transactions into a greener future for Cebu and beyond.
What are your thoughts on combining digital technology with environmental conservation?
