P1.5-M grant aids post-typhoon reforestation
ON Sept. 16, 2022, the Bulacan-based GreenEarth Heritage Foundation finished planting 87,271 seedlings in its fields. However, Typhoon 'Karding' a few weeks later, followed by Typhoon 'Paeng' the next month, destroyed thousands of seedlings and knocked down 2,600 mature trees in the area. GreenEarth Heritage Foundation in San Miguel, Bulacan, received a P1.5-million grant from information technology (IT) service provider Fujitsu Philippines Inc. to help its reforestation efforts after Typhoon "Karding" and Typhoon "Paeng" destroyed thousands of seedlings and knocked down 2,600 mature trees in the area. The foundation has since dedicated its efforts to clearing fallen trees and grass-cutting on planting sites, the creation of thousands of bamboo markers for the planting areas, the filling of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles to act as drip irrigation for live plants and the propagation of new seedlings. The area has become a reforestation site, and a farm that supports sustainable community formation by farmers. The mission of the foundation is built on four pillars, including reforestation to help green the planet, education, and income opportunities for farmers and other financially challenged community members.
公開済み : 2年前 沿って The Manila Times の Business
ON Sept. 16, 2022, the Bulacan-based GreenEarth Heritage Foundation finished planting 87,271 seedlings in its fields. However, Typhoon "Karding" a few weeks later, followed by Typhoon "Paeng" the next month, destroyed thousands of seedlings and knocked down 2,600 mature trees in the area.
Still undeterred, the foundation has since then dedicated its efforts to the clearing of fallen trees and grass-cutting on planting sites, the creation of thousands of bamboo markers for the planting areas, the filling of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles to act as drip irrigation for live plants and the propagation of new seedlings, among others.
The recent P1.5-million grant it received from information technology (IT) service provider Fujitsu Philippines Inc. (FPI) provided a needed boost to its reforestation campaign.
Mylene Matti, GreenEarth founder and executive director, acknowledged, "The grant came at the right time to help us with our ongoing efforts for reforestation, especially after the typhoon devastation. Our organization is sincerely grateful for this partnership with Fujitsu."
Located at the foothills of the Sierra Madre in San Miguel, Bulacan, the GreenEarth Heritage Foundation was organized by Matti in 2009 after receiving more than 100 hectares of land from a landowner. The area has become a reforestation site, and a farm that supports sustainable community formation by farmers.
Raul "Cricket" Santiago, president and chief executive officer of Fujitsu Philippines, said the partnership will enable them to "help realize the foundation's mission to solve environmental and societal issues."
GreenEarth was one of the 19 nonprofit organizations (NPOs) and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) selected globally for the Fujitsu Group's Strategic Community Investment 2022 program. The initiative was formed to support activities by NGOs and NPOs which resolve social issues by providing grants for projects selected from a group-wide application open to all employees."
The foundation's mission is built on four pillars. The first one is reforestation to help green the planet. Next is livelihood in organic agriculture, which aims to provide income opportunities for farmers and other financially challenged community members. For instance, the organization offers Moringa Tea and Moringa Powder certified organic by Ecocert, a leading international certifier for natural products, and the US Department of Agriculture.
Based on its third pillar — education — GreenEarth runs a homeschool program with a Christian, American-credited curriculum for preschool to Grade 5 to help educate the farmers' children and improve their English and digital literacy. It also has a scholarship assistance program to assist them until they graduate from college.
Lastly, as a Christian humanitarian organization, it believes in spiritual transformation and a holistic approach to helping the farming community.