FOR years, Yuchengco Group of Cos. (YGC) has accomplished various corporate social-responsibility activities in response to the needs of the times; but none as extensive as the YGC Earth Care Project.
In its inception during YGC’s centennial anniversary, the YGC Earth Care Project became the group’s partnership venture with the Department of Environmental and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Samahan ng mga Magsasaka ng San Andres Inc. (Samasai), an organization of indigenous peoples in Tanay. In order to show support for the government’s National Greening Program (NGP), YGC chose to engage in a multi-phased tree-planting project.
The DENR allotted a 100-hectare planting area on Mount Bangkaan in Barangay San Andres, Tanay, Rizal. Tree-planting activities were accomplished in different phases since the project started in 2011.
A total of 10-member institutions of YGC, namely, RCBC, RCBC Savings Bank, RCBC Bankard, Malayan Insurance, Mapua, EEI Corp., Honda Quezon City, Isuzu Manila, House of Investment and YGC Corporate Services Inc., fully supported the project to ensure that 50,000 trees will fill the entire Mount Bangkaan by 2020.
Through the years, YGC has acknowledged the importance of the prime areas surrounding Mount Bangkaan and its relationship to the people of Metro Manila. It is a part of the mountain range that surrounds the Kaliwa Watershed where Laiban Dam is located. Incidentally, Laiban Dam is being considered as a possible second water supply source for Metro Manila.
The tree-planting project has also boosted the enthusiasm of the YGC employees on environment protection and the importance of greening Mount Bangkaan. There are more than 100 volunteer employees supported by eight katutubo (indigenous people) families from Samasai who take care of the seedlings in order to ensure that the trees will grow and green the mountain by 2020.
The group visits Mount Bangkaan on a quarterly basis, rain or shine, to undertake tree-growing related activities like strip clearing, fertilizer application, firebreak establishment and replanting of trees, if necessary.