Landco Led the Mangrove Restoration in Laiya, Batangas

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In line with its commitment to environmental and community sustainability, upscale real estate developer Landco Pacific Corporation together with Aplaya Laiya Corporation initiated the mangrove reforestation at an estuary in Laiya, San Juan, Batangas through a recent series of planting of about 3,000 saplings.

Spearheading the mangrove reforestation in Laiya, San Juan, Batangas are shown on photo (From left): Neil Bryant Siy, Vice President, Aplaya Laiya Corp.; Ranel Domingo, Kagawad Laiya, Aplaya, Batangas; Noel Pasco, Head of MENRO (Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office); Allan Estillore, Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) - Region IV; and Erickson Manzano, President and CEO, Landco Pacific Corp.

The project was held in collaboration with Laiya’s local community, barangay and municipal officials, representatives from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and volunteers from Landco executives and staff.

The mangrove tree planting is part of the coastal conservation of Landco to benefit the communities near and around its premium leisure developments in Laiya – Playa Laiya, the master-planned exclusive seaside residential community and Club Laiya, Landco’s latest Leisure Tourism Estates.

“Wherever Landco develops premium Leisure Tourism Estates (LTE’s), our impact on the environment is an important concern. Our company helps ensure the restoration and conservation of the environment within the vicinity of our developments to deliver our commitment to build sustainable communities, undertake our socio-economic responsibility, and leave a lasting legacy for future generations,” stated Erickson Y. Manzano, President and CEO, Landco Pacific Corporation.

“Our primary goal is to make Batangas a leading sustainable tourist destination,” he emphasized.

“At Landco, our team strives to create a healthy environment for our residents, guests, investors and the community at large. Our company’s role is to be a catalyst for environmental, social and economic development within and surrounding our properties. The welfare of the local community is one of our top priorities and we do our best to engage them positively and productively through employment and their active participation in environmental conservation,” Manzano added.

Landco President and CEO Erickson Manzano led the mangrove tree planting of about 3,000 saplings at an estuary in Laiya, San Juan, Batangas, as part of the company’s commitment to environmental and community sustainability.

Landco’s mangrove tree planting in Batangas was participated by Laiya’s local community, barangay and municipal officials, representatives from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and volunteers from Landco executives and staff.

The launch of the mangrove tree planting was led by Manzano, along with Aplaya Laiya Corp Vice President Neil Bryant Siy; Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) - Region IV Officer In-Charge Allan Estillore; Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office (MENRO) Head Noel Pasco; Laiya Aplaya Kagawad Ranel Domingo representing Barangay Chairman Wivin Llana. Present during the activity were volunteers from Landco, Aplaya Laiya Corporation, and the local community.

Some of the volunteers from the Laiya’s local community and volunteers from Landco team are shown participating in the mangrove tree planting in an estuary in Laiya, San Juan, Batangas.

Within the framework of its long-term sustainability program, Landco’s latest Leisure Tourism Estates -- CaSoBe and Club Laiya are both LEED-registered. Its affiliate Millennial Resorts Corporation is Edge-registered. Over-all, its developments implement practical strategies and solutions focused on sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, waste segregation, marketing campaign on sustainability and ethical consumption, and local communities’ livelihood program on recycling materials, and opportunities for socio-economic growth.

Landco’s sustainability initiatives including its mangrove tree planting are in line with Metro Pacific Investment Corporation’s commitment to help achieve the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals to make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable; and strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development.

For more information about Landco visit https://www.landco.ph/ or FB page: https://www.facebook.com/LandcoPacificCorporation.

Act now, act fast: WWF PH, GCash call for participation of Filipinos in fight for PH forests

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Over the last couple of years, the Philippines has been experiencing an alarming decrease in forest area. Due to rampant illegal logging and the lack of funds to better secure protected areas, the countries forests are going nude. 

Each year, based on data from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), around 47,000 hectares of forest cover is lost, which is equivalent to approximately 1.2 million hectares of deforested land in a hundred years. This translates to about 24 percent in deforestation rate, one of the fastest in the world. 

These figures may sound too statistical, but they are a constant and stark reminder for Filipinos of the state of Philippine forests. This is also a wakeup call for everyone that while the government pursues efforts to create a greener country, a great amount of work is still up ahead, according to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).

“Without strategic measures to combat this, Philippine forests will cease to exist in the next two decades -- leaving the next generation without clean air to breath, fresh and lush sceneries to enjoy, and endemic flora and fauna will only exist in picture books,” WWF Philippines President and CEO Joel Palma said. 

The severity of the situation calls for a pursuit of collaboration among all stakeholders -- the state, organizations, companies, and even the common Filipino. For many, participating in drives for the environment may seem to measly an idea due to the gravity of work to be done, but even the slightest act can create a chain of events that could help the country bring its forests back to full life. 

“We need to act now, and we need to act fast. We are at a critical time that loudly calls for action and the participation of everyone. Our fight for a greener Philippines is not won by one group alone. It needs to be a collaborative effort,” Palma added. 

GCash, operated by Globe Fintech Innovations Inc. (Mynt), recognizes the power of its platform to create a huge impact for the environment. Placing itself at the forefront of developing financial sustainability mechanisms that aim to strengthen forest conservation efforts within its growing user base of 20 million, GCash recently introduced GCash for Good. 

Acting as its corporate social responsibility arm, GCash for Good has collaborated with World Wildlife Fund for Nature, Forest Foundation Philippines, Bantay Kalikasan, as well as Haribon Foundation to pursue their shared vision of establishing a greener Philippines.

“Through these collaborations with non-government organizations, international organizations, and various merchants, we look forward to fulfilling our vision of greening the Philippines through our platform, as this initiative shall create a significant impact not only to the environment but also in the daily lives of each Filipino,” Mynt President Anthony Thomas said.

With GCash for Good, Filipinos from all walks of life, especially the youth sector, now have the power to create a positive change for the environment and stay socially relevant. Through GCash for Good, GCash has made it possible for registered GCash users to conveniently send donations to their chosen organization. 

The platform enables Filipinos to reach out further while also creating better opportunities for the society, as it eliminates the hassle of having to endure long processes of donating through banks and institutions and allows people to focus more on what truly matters to them.

Various research has shown that there is a growing trend in crowdfunding as well as micro-donations. Such kind of initiative, while it may generate a minimal amount at a given period, would still go a long way and make a significant impact once it gets added up.

“For every person who would like to make a difference, it’s also important to recognize that working together, aiming for the common goal hand-in-hand, can result in an even greater impact. With GCash for Good, doing something for a cause becomes accessible and easier for all Filipinos,” Thomas said.

Boracay Water ready to accept and treat sewer connections per latest DENR MO

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Boracay Island Water Company (Boracay Water) announced its readiness to accept sewer connections, following the latest Memorandum Order released by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), which directed hotels, resort, and similar establishments to connect to island’s concessionaires, in preparation for the Island’s scheduled re-opening in October.

Dated September 18 and signed by Secretary Roy Cimatu, the Memorandum Order provided the guidelines on the installation or construction of individual Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) per establishment in Boracay and at the same time ordered the concessionaires to collect and treat the wastewater of their own respective clients.

It also ordered Concessionaires to issue certifications that their respective customers are either connected to the sewer line or have their own compliant individuals STPs. The said certification will serve as a requirement for the hotel or establishment to operate come opening date on the 26th of October 2018.

As part of this directive, the Concessionaires are asked to provide DENR with data on water billed volume and volume of wastewater received for treatment for monitoring and planning purposes.

The Memorandum also requested all hotels having their own individuals STPs to discharge their treated effluents through the sewer lines and treated water lines of their water providers for eventual proper disposal. In relation to this, Boracay Water has a total 21 kilometers of sewer network available on the island, and have two sewage treatment facilities that can treat up to 11.5 million liters of wastewater or used water from establishments prior to disposal.

The latest DENR Order strictly stated that hotels that are unable to comply will not be allowed to open and operate their business until they have established their own compliant STPs.

It can be recalled that Boracay Water started its aggressive campaign to encourage connection to the company’s sewer network in March of this year. To date, about 120 establishments and residences have signified their intention to be connected to the company’s sewer system.

With the recent directive of DENR, the company is expecting to receive more applications for sewer connection even from non-Boracay Water customers. This will allow more commercial and residential establishments to discharge their used water into a reliable sewer system and ensure that it will be properly processed to comply with existing effluent standards of DENR.

Currently, more than 1,200 establishments and residences are directly connected to Boracay Water’s sewer network. For unsewered areas or areas with no existing sewer network, regular desludging or siphoning services are being done through the company’s desludging trucks which collect wastewater for treatment in the two sewage treatment plants of the Boracay Water located in barangays Manocmanoc and Balabag.