Smart plants for the future

MANILA, Philippines - For mobile leader Smart Communications, no deed is too small when it comes to sustaining the environment and contributing to the global effort to address climate change.

For over a decade now, Smart, under its employee volunteerism program, has been encouraging employees to render community service by planting trees and mangrove in adopted watersheds and coastlines all over the country. 

In Visayas, tree-planting has become a regular activity for Smart employees with over 3,000 seedlings and mangrove propagules planted so far this year.

Last March, Smart employee volunteers planted over a thousand mangrove propagules in Tongo Islet, SRP, Cebu City to mark the International Day of Forests. Joining the employees were volunteers from Bantay Dagat and the city government.

“As an employee, I’m so proud that Smart is involved in this activity. It gives me the opportunity to promote a greener and sustainable community,” said Neil Ian Abueva, senior engineer for Cebu operations, who participated in the mangrove planting at Tongo Islet.

Smart employees based in Iloilo also trooped to Guimaras and planted 1,111 mangrove seedlings in Taklong Island National Marine Reserve in Nueva Valencia last June. Smart has adopted five hectares of mangrove plantation in the area with two hectares already planted with the help of volunteers from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, as well as people’s organizations San Roque Coastal Environment Program Association and La Paz Fisherfolks and Aquatic Resources Mangrove Management Association.

“While planting mangroves, I think of it as planting also for our future,” said Homer Ecang, a senior engineer based in Iloilo.

The planting of mangroves in coastal areas not only helps preserve biodiversity, but also protects coastal communities from storm surges.

Reforestation is also being actively pursued upland with more than 1,000 seedlings of mahogany and lawaan trees planted inside the 303rd Infantry Brigade Camp in Brgy. Minoyan, Murcia, Negros Occidental last July.  Smart employees were joined by volunteers from the Army and the Negros Press Club.

Smart has been planting trees since 2005. Its adopted sites include the Ipo Dam and Marikina watersheds; Calatagan, Subic, Mt. Banahaw, Puerto Princesa, and Cagsao in Camarines Sur for Luzon; Cebu, Lapu-Lapu, Negros Oriental and Occidental, Iloilo, Guimaras, and Bohol for Visayas; and Misamis Oriental, Surigao, Zamboanga, Sarangani, Digos, Davao City, and Tawi-Tawi in Mindanao. 

The company is also one of the main drivers behind the Marikina Watershed Initiative, a broad-based, public-private partnership launched by the Philippine Disaster Recovery Foundation to help protect, reforest, and rehabilitate the area.

To reduce the carbon footprint of its operations, Smart has adopted the Green Merchandising campaign that involves the use of eco-friendly materials instead of traditional plastic-based solutions for its packaging and outdoor advertising materials.

Beyond business, Smart has also been encouraging its employees to embrace an eco-friendly lifestyle.