Forest Foundation Philippines finds a staunch ally in Sun Life Foundation in its mission to protect and conserve the country’s most critical forests. The organizations started the year by signing a memorandum of agreement to enhance the resilience of Calamianes watersheds in Palawan.
The joint initiative will enhance the capabilities of 60 forest guards in forest protection, while also implementing 3R (Recharge, Retention, Reuse) water technologies to bolster water security and climate resilience in three watersheds. This technology conserves water for domestic use, while also maintaining the vitality of water sources by capturing rainwater and storing it in the soil. This is particularly critical for island communities, such as Calamianes, where access to domestic water is limited due to geographic isolation. With the support of Calamianes Resilience Network, this initiative will benefit 4,362 households in Calamianes Islands, covering three barangays.
Atty. Jose Andres Canivel, Executive Director of Forest Foundation Philippines, shared, “We are grateful to Sun Life Foundation for working with us beyond tree planting. This is a unique opportunity for us to protect and conserve the forests, while ensuring that communities are able to benefit from the ecosystem services that our forests provide.”
Mr. Benedict Sison, Sun Life Financial CEO and Country Head and Sun Life Foundation Chairman, added, “We are fortunate to have found in Forest Foundation Philippines a partner that is equally committed in protecting the environment and transforming communities. All these align with the mission of Sun Life Foundation to build a brighter world and engage in meaningful transformation initiatives that will change the lives of Filipinos and help them in building a sustainable future.”
This partnership was facilitated by the Embassy of Canada in the Philippines in line with the 75th year of Philippines-Canada diplomatic relations. Mr. John Lok, Counsellor and Head of Cooperation, Embassy of Canada in the Philippines, said, “Supporting nature-based solutions for climate change adaptation and combatting biodiversity loss are aligned with our priorities. We are pleased to see additional resources to support these.”
The launch was also attended by representatives from the leadership teams of Forest Foundation Philippines and Sun Life Foundation: Ms. Maria Aurora Francsico-Tolentino, Secretary and Treasurer of the Board of Trustees of Forest Foundation Philippines, and Mr. Alex Narciso, President of Sun Life Foundation, Ms. Joy Castillo, Treasurer, and Ms. Kristitine Millete, Executive Director.
About Forest Foundation Philippines:
Forest Foundation Philippines (doing business as Philippine Tropical Forest Conservation Foundation (PTFCF), Inc.) is a non-stock, non-profit, non-governmental organization that provides grants and technical assistance to organizations and individuals that empower the people to protect and conserve the forests.
About Sun Life Foundation:
Through the Sun Life Foundation, Sun Life Philippines fosters the spirit of volunteerism, service, and generosity thus radiating the company’s ethos of commitment and service to the Filipino people.
