GCash launches campaign to reforest Ipo watershed

Mobile wallet GCash on Tuesday launched  a feature on its app that allows users to plant trees in a 300-hectare land at the Ipo watershed as part of the company’s efforts to address deforestation.

GCash formally launched “GCash Forest” in Makati City.

The feature is inspired from Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group's Alipay Ant Forest, according to Globe Fintech innovations Inc. (Mynt) CEO Anthony Thomas.

Mynt is the operator of GCash. It is a partnership between Globe Telecom, Ayala Corp., and Ant Financial.

Through the GCash Forest feature, users can can plant “virtual trees” that will have real-life counterparts.

By the end of 365 days, the GCash Forest aims to plant 365,000 trees with the help of GCash subscribers, Thomas said.

To plant trees through the feature, GCash users need to collect “green energy” by frequently using the app. A certain amount of “green energy” can allow users to choose which specific species of trees they want to plant at the Ipo watershed.

Once the trees are physically planted, users will receive a certificate of ownership with a serial number as well as updates on the growth of their trees on the GCash app.

GCash chief marketing officer Chris Manguera said the company is planning to physically plant all the “virtual trees” collected during the entire year by July next year —the start of the rainy season.

To implement the tree-planting initiative, GCash has partnered with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), World Wildlife Fund (WWF), and The Biodiversity Finance Initiative (BIOFIN).

The DENR will be providing land resources at the Ipo watershed —an essential component of the Angat-Umiray-Ipo watersheds system supplying 98% of Metro Manila's water.

Meanwhile, WWF will provide the manpower and BIOFIN will provide expertise on monitoring.

According to statistics of DENR's Forest Management Bureau (FMB), the Philippines is losing 47,000 hectares of forest cover every year.

The FMB also reported the need to rehabilitate 1.2 million hectares of forest lands by 2022 to prevent landslides, ensure the water availability and preserve the biodiversity.

Thomas said GCash is considering to expand the tree-planting initiative to other watersheds in the country.

"GCash Forest is about making it easier, more convenient, and even rewarding for everyone to take care of our environment for the benefit of future generations," he said.

“The GCash Forest shows that digital technology holds a huge power to mobilize people in support of sustainable development and the fight against climate change. And this power goes beyond the border and is at our fingertips through our mobile devices," Yan Meng, Ant Financial's Global head of International Partnerships said.

“We are excited to share the idea of leveraging digital technologies to solve environmental problems at a large scale pioneered by Alipay Ant Forest, which is being extended and implemented outside of China for the very first time, by Alipay's e-wallet partner GCash in the Philippines," she said. —LDF, GMA News