In the quiet persistence of laboratories, assembly halls, and the green stretches of a university, the work is already being done. Academic institutions like the University of the Philippines (UP) have long stood at the frontline, advancing knowledge across disciplines, from restoring ecosystems and protecting native plant species to deepening regional understanding and shaping minds to think critically, and engage meaningfully with the world.

But this kind of work is demanding. It calls not only for passion and experience but also for steady support, especially in building and maintaining the spaces that allow these initiatives to evolve and endure.

This is where Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) Foundation makes a difference. Instead of one-off donations or publicity-driven efforts, TMP Foundation chooses deep-rooted, long-term partnerships with institutions already creating impact. By supporting the University of the Philippines across its campuses, the Foundation helps build both the physical and intellectual spaces where ideas, collaboration, and ecological stewardship can thrive.

Community development remains central to TMP Foundation’s mission, especially in education, environment, health, and public service. Beyond these pillars lies something equally vital: the commitment to building cultural bridges that span generations.

This long-standing commitment is evident in TMP Foundation’s partnership with UP Diliman’s Asian Center since 2008. The Foundation helped establish the GT-Toyota Asian Cultural Center (GT-TACC), a one-hectare space that stands as a symbol of intellectual and cultural exchange. Home to two key facilities, the GT-Toyota Asian Center Auditorium and the GT-Toyota Hall of Wisdom, the center has hosted a wide range of local and international conferences, exhibits, and cultural events.

These include programs organized by the UP community, foreign embassies, and institutions such as the Japan Foundation, Korean Cultural Foundation, Confucius Institute, and Instituto Cervantes, deepening regional understanding and highlighting Filipino scholarship on the global stage.

“We would have had difficulty pulling off these events without the generous support of the Foundation,” shared Dr. Noel Moratilla, Dean of the UP Asian Center. “These moments of exchange wouldn’t have been possible without a space like the GT-TACC.”

Just last year, the building’s auditorium hosted the SEASIA Biennial International Conference 2024, a platform where scholars from Southeast Asia can speak for themselves, about their own region, on their terms.

Housed within the center, the UP Asian Center continues to produce meaningful work in diplomacy, regional studies, and cultural heritage. “So I've seen and I can say with confidence that this sort of partnership that we have with the Foundation is sustainable and I'm pretty sure that it's going to continue for many, many years.” The partnership extends to the ongoing upkeep and programming of GT-TACC, ensuring the space continues to serve future scholars and cultural communities alike.

“We’ve also started discussing how the Asian Center can give back,” Dr. Moratilla added. “Now, we’re exploring opportunities for academic and cultural exchange that enrich both sides of the partnership.”

Through years of steady support, TMP Foundation continues to nurture UP’s role as a hub for Asian thought through planning the expansion and improvement of facilities to sustain the GT-Toyota Asian Cultural Center and its mission of cultural and intellectual exchange.

Beyond the lecture halls, TMP Foundation’s enduring partnership with the UP Los Baños (UPLB) extends deep into the forested slopes of Mt. Makiling. For over a decade, the Foundation has helped build not only spaces, but also sustained efforts where environmental education, restoration, and the conservation of native plant species take root.

Since 2012, the Foundation has supported the Toyota Adopt-a-Forest Project at the Makiling Botanic Gardens (MBG), playing a key role in the restoration of a vital 10-hectare section of this part of Mt. Makiling Forest Reserve. Part of the project is the development of the 3-hectare “Toyota Palm Garden,” a living archive of native palms. This long-running commitment has included regular tree-planting activities involving volunteers, students, and TMP employees.

“We needed support to carry out public education, conservation efforts, and even just maintain the trails for wellness and ecotourism. We had a vision of transforming this rainforest into a living laboratory, but we couldn’t do it alone,” said Roberto Cereno, Former Vice Chancellor for Community Affairs, UPLB.

CALABARZON’s rapid urbanization has put natural habitats under pressure, he noted. “We’re losing green spaces. That’s why it’s crucial we offer areas where students, especially those within a 100-kilometer radius of Metro Manila, can learn about nature through real, hands-on experiences.”

He continued, “How can we teach children about biodiversity loss if they’ve never stood in a forest? We want to reinvent the delivery of education. And the TMP Foundation understood that. I wasn’t wrong to approach them for this project.”

With TMP Foundation’s backing, MBG has been able to plant more threatened species, develop programs for learners of all ages, and create dedicated spaces like the Toyota Environment Education Theater (TEET), where science becomes a shared language through seminars, workshops, and outreach.

Dr. Lerma SJ. Maldia, Director of the Makiling Center for Mountain Ecosystems (MCME), highlighted the Foundation’s role in broadening its scope. “Because of TMP Foundation, we’ve been able to explore more native and endangered palm species. During the Southeast Asia Botanic Conference, we had the chance to discuss challenges in preserving ex-situ collections with researchers and conservation managers across the region. The Foundation engages with activities like this and listens to what needs to be worked on.”

She added, “We have nearly 25 dipterocarp species here, including several that are threatened. The garden now serves as a regional learning hub.” Dipterocarps are towering hardwood trees native to Southeast Asia and dominate many of the Philippines’ lowland rainforests. These are crucial in maintaining biodiversity, storing carbon, and protecting watersheds.

With TMP Foundation as a steady partner, MBG continues to look ahead. Plans are already underway to create new educational materials and interactive programs, and there is hope that TMP Foundation will continue to support these next steps. “And even when I’m no longer here, I know the legacy will continue, especially with partners like TMP Foundation beside us,” Roberto Cereno said proudly.

TMP Foundation’s presence is also being felt on the waves. Through its partnership with the UP Marine Science Institute (UP MSI), TMP Foundation is helping amplify marine biodiversity education, particularly in areas like the Verde Island Passage, one of the most ecologically critical marine corridors in the world.

The partnership’s highlight is an interactive, conservation-themed educational game designed to introduce marine ecosystems to students and the public in an engaging, memorable way. It’s a playful approach with a serious message: the ocean’s survival depends on awareness, education, and action.

This creative tool is part of a broader effort to support marine research, public education, and the next generation of ocean advocates.

Looking back, one early example of TMP Foundation’s investment in future-ready learning programs is the Toyota Professorial Chair Project launched in 1992.

Through this initiative, TMP Foundation provided professorial chair grants to top universities such as the University of the Philippines Diliman and Mapúa University.

These grants recognized outstanding faculty and supported research in engineering, science, and technology. By investing in academic excellence, TMP Foundation helps drive innovation and technical development in the auto sector. The program was recently revived, reaffirming TMP Foundation’s commitment to industry growth through education.

This emphasis on real-world application and public benefit carried over into later initiatives. In a partnership with the UP National Center for Transportation Studies (UP-NCTS), TMP provided a P1.5 million grant to develop training videos for public utility drivers, a forward-thinking effort to promote safer roads. The project, part of the UP Traffic Safety Model Zone in collaboration with the Automobile Association Philippines (AAP), may have concluded, but its influence continues, contributing to more informed, responsible driving and reinforcing the long-term value of accessible road safety education.

TMP Foundation continues to explore new projects where education and the environment go hand in hand, from developing sustainability programs in schools to supporting innovative green technologies born in UP’s research centers.

The partnership between TMP Foundation and the University of the Philippines reflects a shared belief: that knowledge must be nurtured like a seed, rooted in purpose, and grown with care. In every student inspired, every species protected, and every lesson carried into the future, there lies the promise of a nation that learns from the land it loves.