𝐖𝐨𝐯𝐨𝐤𝐚 𝐏𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬, 𝐆𝐂𝐚𝐬𝐡 𝐆𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝟏 𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐎𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐨 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐍𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠-𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐦 𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

Michelle Fernandez, GCash General Manager of Sustainability Corporate Communications (left), and Lee Pearson, Wovoka Chief Executive Officer (right), are working together to plant over 1M trees in Oriental Mindoro and Camarines Norte.

𝐖𝐨𝐯𝐨𝐤𝐚 𝐏𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬, 𝐆𝐂𝐚𝐬𝐡 𝐆𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝟏 𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐎𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐨 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐍𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠-𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐦 𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

Climate tech project development company Wovoka Philippines and GForest, the sustainability initiative of GCash, signed a memorandum of agreement to plant over 1 million native trees and mangrove species over the next 5 years, from 2026-2030, across forest and coastal communities in the provinces of Oriental Mindoro and Camarines Norte.

The partnership reaffirms the shared commitment of Wovoka and GCash to nation-building and long-term ecosystem restoration in observance of Philippine Arbor Day.

Deforestation and coastal degradation continue to heighten the effects of climate change in vulnerable areas, reducing biodiversity and exposing towns to floods and storm surges. This ongoing environmental decline also destroys resources that communities depend on, directly harming traditional industries and increasing vulnerability to climate and financial risks.

Ecosystem restoration is one important nature-based solution that complements broader climate mitigation and adaptation efforts. Through science-based restoration planning and long-term monitoring, Wovoka Philippines and GCash will strengthen ecological resilience by restoring watersheds, improving coastal protection, enhancing biodiversity, and reducing erosion in Oriental Mindoro and Camarines Norte.

𝐀 𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐡-𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩

The five-year collaboration establishes a structured timeline committed to planting native trees across both upland and coastal zones. This large-scale initiative aims to restore degraded upland forests and coastal ecosystems, increasing their capacity to naturally store carbon while strengthening biodiversity and climate resilience.

Through GForest, users can support this initiative and help local communities simply by earning green energy points through everyday digital transactions. These points can be converted into tree-planting efforts, making it easy for more Filipinos to participate in environmental conservation.

Through GForest, Wovoka community leads environmental conservation efforts in Oriental Mindoro and Camarines Norte

“This tech for good partnership with Wovoka Philippines, we are utilizing the scale of GCash to build real-world ecological barriers and secure green livelihoods for the communities that need them most,” said Michelle Fernandez, General Manager of Sustainability and Corporate Communications of GCash.

Partnering with a dedicated organization like Wovoka Philippines ensures that all planting efforts adhere to strict ecological standards, with only native and ecologically appropriate species planted, which better adapt to local conditions, support indigenous wildlife, and help restore natural ecological processes.

𝐄𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐬

Beyond tree planting, the initiative integrates local communities directly into the conservation efforts. Community members are tapped to plant, monitor, and maintain the forests, turning environmental restoration into a viable, long-term source of income. They will also monitor tree survival and site health over the life of the project to help ensure restoration outcomes beyond the initial planting phase.

Local farmers and coastal workers maintaining the planting sites will receive stable streams of revenue, and families will be provided with predictable, year-round stipends for nursing care and conducting regular site patrols, reducing the impact of seasonal income gaps.

By merging digital technology, environmental science, and community participation, the GCash-Wovoka partnership will serve as a model for sustainable regional development.

Together, these initiatives highlight how large-scale public participation can translate into measurable environmental impact, even redefining corporate sustainability, as digital platforms can move beyond the screen to support real-world environmental protection and strengthen climate-resilience in vulnerable communities.

For more information, visit www.gcash.com.

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𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐆𝐂𝐚𝐬𝐡

GCash is the Philippines’ #1 Finance Super App and Largest Cashless Ecosystem. Through the GCash App, users can easily purchase prepaid airtime; pay bills via partner billers nationwide; send and receive money anywhere in the Philippines, even to other bank accounts; purchase from over 6 million partner merchants and social sellers; and get access to savings, credit, loans, insurance and invest money, and so much more, all at the convenience of their smartphones. Its mobile wallet operations are handled by G-Xchange, Inc. (GXI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mynt, the first and only $5 billion unicorn in the Philippines.

GCash is a staunch supporter of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly UN SDGs 5,8,10, and 13, which focus on safety & security, financial inclusion, diversity, equity, and inclusion as well as taking urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts, respectively.

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