Forest Foundation Philippines and the National Power Corporation (NPC) have renewed their partnership to strengthen watershed conservation, forest restoration, and biodiversity conservation in in the Philippines.
Through a renewed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), the two organizations will build on their collaboration to support the protection, rehabilitation, and sustainable management of watersheds that sustain natural ecosystems, support local communities, and contribute to reliable power generation and water supply.
Established in 2002, Forest Foundation Philippines is a non-stock, non-profit, non-governmental organization that serves as a conservation financing platform, channeling resources from international funders and other donors to support forest conservation initiatives across the country. NPC, a government-owned and controlled corporation, is mandated to develop and generate reasonably priced and reliable electricity for national development. It also manages and administers watershed areas that support its power generation facilities.
Atty. Jose Andres Canivel, Executive Director of Forest Foundation Philippines, expressed his appreciation for the continued partnership, recognizing NPC as a strategic partner in advancing forest conservation and biodiversity protection. “We appreciate the partnership that has been extended to us since 2022. We work for every grant, and the gains and impacts of our partnership in terms of planning, conserving, and protecting watersheds are far beyond what we initially envisioned. This strengthens our aspiration to renew our partnership with NPC,” Atty. Canivel said.
NPC President Jericho Jonas Nograles likewise reaffirmed the corporation’s commitment to environmental stewardship, emphasizing the importance of healthy forests and watersheds to both its operations and future generations. “Through our renewed partnership with Forest Foundation Philippines, we reaffirm our commitment to environmental stewardship, as we recognize that healthy forests and watersheds are essential to the long-term sustainability of our operations and the well-being of future generations,” he said.
The renewed agreement builds on the partnership established in March 2022, through which Forest Foundation provided funding for projects that contributed to improved management of the Angat, Upper Pulangi, and Lake Lanao watersheds. These initiatives supported watershed mapping and governance assessments, forest restoration, sustainable livelihood development, community capacity building, and awareness-raising on watershed conservation.
Under the renewed MOU, Forest Foundation and NPC will continue to explore opportunities for collaboration and share knowledge, expertise, and resources to strengthen conservation efforts in NPC-managed watersheds. NPC will also support the implementation of Forest Foundation-supported projects in these areas and help identify suitable sites for forest restoration, particularly within the Angat Watershed Forest Reserve.
The partnership will also create opportunities to mobilize private sector support for forest restoration. Forest Foundation will include restoration sites identified by NPC in its private sector partnership program, helping connect potential partners and resources with initiatives that advance watershed protection and rehabilitation.
By bringing together government expertise, conservation financing, and private sector participation, Forest Foundation Philippines and NPC aim to build on their existing gains and strengthen efforts to protect natural ecosystems, sustain watershed functions, and secure the benefits that healthy forests provide to communities and future generations.
