Pay your bill, plant a tree and contribute to the green effort with Citi

All efforts to help the environment count. At a time when we are experiencing the destructive effects of climate change; when what should be ordinary rainfall becomes a major deluge with real potential to paralyze entire cities, there is a heightened consciousness to make the individual effort to try and mitigate the effects of environmental degradation. But while most of us are aware that we have to do our share to alleviate the situation, we may not have the time to join organized movements that will make tangible differences in the environmental cause. Thus, Citi Philippines’ latest partnership with Maynilad to plant trees is noteworthy because it allows more people to almost effortlessly contribute towards re-greening watersheds as they pay their water bills using the Citibank credit card.  

“Citi is pleased to partner with Maynilad to promote this green marketing initiative.  On one hand, we are offering our clients the convenience of Citibank One Bill and on the other, promoting a greener environment,” says Batara Sianturi, Chief Executive Officer for Citi in the Philippines.

“Taking care of our watersheds entails uplifting lives,” shares Francisco Arellano, Maynilad senior vice president for corporate quality, environment, safety and health. “We want to ensure that Filipinos have access to clean, potable water for generations to come.”

“By enrolling their Maynilad account in Citibank One Bill, we offer our cardholders the chance to take part in Maynilad’s “Be a Tree Steward” promotion,” says David Stoughton, Credit Payment Products Head. From October 1-31, all qualified participants will have a tree planted on their behalf in the Ipo Watershed, where Maynilad is leading multi-sectoral reforestation efforts. ‘Convenience with a cause’ might be one suitable description of Citi’s “Be a Tree Steward” campaign.

The promotion allocates one tree sapling per enrollment of a Maynilad account, and photos of dedicated trees will also be available for viewing on Maynilad Rewards’ Facebook page (www.facebook.com/MayniladRewards) within a week after the tree-planting activity. 

Cardholders who register their Maynilad account at www.mayniladrewards.com will also receive a “Tree Stewardship” certificate after the tree-planting and dedication activity scheduled on November 23, 2013. These will be sent along with their Citi billing statement.

Sign-up for One Bill

One Bill is a value feature available to all Citi cardholders, which aids them in settling their utility bills conveniently.  Once enrolled in One Bill, your utility bills will be paid from your Citibank credit card automatically every month, saving you from lining up in payment centers or having worries about missing payment due dates.

Maynilad is the latest addition to Citi’s roster of One Bill partners.  Aside from Maynilad, Citibank cardholders can enroll other bills or donate to charitable institutions as Citibank One Bill accepts payments and donations to various partner telecommunications, electricity and cable companies and charitable organizations.

Cardholders can sign up payments for the following utilities: Bayantel, Cable Link, Digitel, Global Destiny, Globe, Innove, Meralco, My Destiny, PLDT, SkyCable, Smart, Smart Bro, Sun Cellular, and VECO.  If you are regular donors of Unicef and World Vision, you can also choose to enroll in One Bill to ensure uninterrupted contributions.

For a Greener Citi

 â€œCiti in the Philippines is proud to have a strong tradition of volunteerism among our employees – and it is through this that we are able to contribute to environmental conservation and sustainability efforts. Our annual day of service called Global Community Day, usually held in June, brings together thousands of employees to engage in activities such as home builds, reading sessions with disadvantaged children and coastal cleanups,’ relates Sianturi.

“This year, Citi volunteers went to Freedom Island in Pasay City to assist in the clean-up of a protected bird sanctuary affected by pollution and reclamation projects in Manila Bay. They also helped segregate trash so that certain items can be upcycled for use in various livelihood programs.”

We expect the same spirit of volunteerism among Citi employees at Maynilad’s “Plant for Life” program.
“This early, plans are underway to have Citi employee volunteers participate in Maynilad’s scheduled tree-planting activities to show support for this environmental cause,” concludes Sianturi.