On November 25, some 250 Puregold team members traveled from Manila to Barangay Maragondon in Real, Quezon and trekked to the mountains to engage in an organizational tree-planting activity.
PUREGOLD employees spearhead a tree-planting activity in Real, Quezon.
Held as part of Puregold’s contribution to global sustainability efforts, the event kicked off the first phase of its tree-planting program which started with the adoption of a 70-hectare forest land in the heart of the Sierra Madre Mountain Range.
Bearing the theme of the Department of Natural Resources (DENR) banner National Greening Program “Tayo ang Kalikasan,” Puregold aims to help attain the four key objectives of he agency’s national greening efforts: Poverty reduction, providing food security, contributing to environmental stability and biodiversity conservation, and enhancing climate change mitigation and adaptation.
The estimated 41,000 trees to be grown in the area include indigenous trees, coffee and cacao, and other fruit-bearing trees.
The laudable program is under a tripartite agreement between Puregold, represented by its president, Vincent Co, DENR-Calabarzon, represented by Regional Executive Director Nilo Tamoria, and people’s organization Samahan ng mga Magsasaka at Mangingisda ng Pinaglapatan (SMMP), represented by chairman Jimmy Versoza.
The key feature of the agreement is to spur SMMP to nurture, maintain, and protect the planted area in the next five years to ensure the proper growth of the seedlings until they are fully stable. In addition, the forest products expected to be harvested from this expansive reforestation effort, particularly cacao and coffee, are poised to become sustainable sources of livelihood for the organization and the community.
Co expressed enthusiasm for the partnership, stating, "Our tree-planting initiative aligns with our commitment to environmental sustainability and community empowerment. By adopting 70 hectares of land in the Sierra Madre Mountain Range, we not only contribute to reforestation efforts but also create positive impact on the lives of our brothers and sisters in Maragondon."
Puregold’s resolve goes beyond Luzon. The company intends to replicate this project in Visayas and Mindanao to fulfill its target of planting at least 100,000 trees in the next three years, part of its broader vision of promoting sustainability and conservation across the entire archipelago.
The activity last November was highlighted by the planting of 3,000 seedlings of the national tree narra and 50 Palawan Cherry Blossoms, locally known as “Balayong,” to create an inspiring foliage in the area for forthcoming generations.