Michelle Fernandez, GCash General Manager of Sustainability Corporate Communications (left), and Lee Pearson, Wovoka Chief Executive Officer (right), are working together to plant over 1M trees in Oriental Mindoro and Camarines Norte.
Climate tech project development company Wovoka Philippines and #GForest, the sustainability initiative of #GCash, signed a memorandum of agreement to plant over 1 million native trees and mangrove species over the next 5 years, from 2026-2030, across forest and coastal communities in the provinces of Oriental Mindoro and Camarines Norte.
The partnership reaffirms the shared commitment of Wovoka and GCash to nation-building and long-term ecosystem restoration in observance of Philippine Arbor Day.
Deforestation and coastal degradation continue to heighten the effects of climate change in vulnerable areas, reducing biodiversity and exposing towns to floods and storm surges. This ongoing environmental decline also destroys resources that communities depend on, directly harming traditional industries and increasing vulnerability to climate and financial risks.
Ecosystem restoration is one important nature-based solution that complements broader climate mitigation and adaptation efforts. Through science-based restoration planning and long-term monitoring, Wovoka Philippines and GCash will strengthen ecological resilience by restoring watersheds, improving coastal protection, enhancing biodiversity, and reducing erosion in Oriental Mindoro and Camarines Norte.
A tech-driven climate partnership
The five-year collaboration establishes a structured timeline committed to planting native trees across both upland and coastal zones. This large-scale initiative aims to restore degraded upland forests and coastal ecosystems, increasing their capacity to naturally store carbon while strengthening biodiversity and climate resilience.
Through GForest, users can support this initiative and help local communities simply by earning green energy points through everyday digital transactions. These points can be converted into tree-planting efforts, making it easy for more Filipinos to participate in environmental conservation.
Through GForest, Wovoka community leads environmental conservation efforts in Oriental Mindoro and Camarines Norte
“This tech for good partnership with Wovoka Philippines, we are utilizing the scale of GCash to build real-world ecological barriers and secure green livelihoods for the communities that need them most,” said Michelle Fernandez, General Manager of Sustainability and Corporate Communications of GCash.
Partnering with a dedicated organization like Wovoka Philippines ensures that all planting efforts adhere to strict ecological standards, with only native and ecologically appropriate species planted, which better adapt to local conditions, support indigenous wildlife, and help restore natural ecological processes.
Empowering communities through green livelihoods
Beyond tree planting, the initiative integrates local communities directly into the conservation efforts. Community members are tapped to plant, monitor, and maintain the forests, turning environmental restoration into a viable, long-term source of income. They will also monitor tree survival and site health over the life of the project to help ensure restoration outcomes beyond the initial planting phase.
Local farmers and coastal workers maintaining the planting sites will receive stable streams of revenue, and families will be provided with predictable, year-round stipends for nursing care and conducting regular site patrols, reducing the impact of seasonal income gaps.
By merging digital technology, environmental science, and community participation, the GCash-Wovoka partnership will serve as a model for sustainable regional development.
Together, these initiatives highlight how large-scale public participation can translate into measurable environmental impact, even redefining corporate sustainability, as digital platforms can move beyond the screen to support real-world environmental protection and strengthen climate-resilience in vulnerable communities.