ACEN Corporation Pledges Support to DENR’s Forests for Life Initiative

ACEN Corporation is proud to have pledged its support for the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)’s “Forests for Life: 5 Million Trees by 2028” initiative, a shared commitment with the Ayala group to nurture forests and strengthen climate resilience.

This national reforestation program aims to plant and grow 5 million trees across key provinces including Ilocos Norte, contributing to the sequestration of 3.5 million tons of carbon by 2038. For ACEN, this pledge builds on the momentum of its own reforestation program, having recently achieved its 1 million trees target by 2025 ahead of schedule.

During the launch, DENR Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo Loyzaga emphasized the critical role of targeted and aggressive reforestation in addressing climate change impacts, particularly in flood-prone and watershed areas. She underscored the initiative’s multiple benefits, including enhanced biodiversity, improved water resources, mitigated soil erosion, and strengthened community livelihoods.

“The restoration of our forests is an urgent climate action strategy. Enhancing reforestation in priority areas will secure water supply and fortify the country’s defenses against flooding and landslides,” Secretary Loyzaga stated. “This initiative also complements our ongoing efforts to expand mangrove forests and coastal greenbelts, which serve as natural barriers against storm surges and coastal erosion.”

The pilot sites for the Forests For Life initiative include the provinces of Ilocos Norte, Rizal, Leyte, Bataan, Bukidnon, and Lanao del Norte. The program will begin in 2025 with site preparation, partner mobilization, seedling production, and plantation establishment. In 2026, efforts will focus on plantation establishment, maintenance, and protection, which will continue in 2027. By 2028, the program will emphasize maintenance and protection, alongside program evaluation and documentation to assess its impact and ensure sustainability.

The Forests For Life initiative adopts a whole-of-society approach, recognizing that forest ecosystems are interconnected in a web of life that ensures food security and sufficient water supply, prevents soil erosion, reduces the severity of flooding, builds resilient communities, absorbs carbon dioxide to combat climate change, and unlocks economic opportunities through inclusive policies, responsible investments and fostering strong collaboration among various stakeholders.

This program will thrive by bringing together diverse stakeholders with complementary strengths. Various public and private partners will participate through financial investments and valuable non-monetary support, including monitoring systems, community engagement efforts, resource mobilization, technical expertise, and research initiatives. Partners include private organizations, national government agencies (NGAs), local government units (LGUs), and civil society organizations, all working collaboratively to ensure the program’s success.

Priority tree species for planting include both dipterocarp species such as Yakal-Saplungan and Palosapis, and non-dipterocarp species like Dao, Lamio, Kalumpit, Bagras, Kalantas, Agoho, Antipolo, Bagalunga, Banlag, Bitaog, Bogo, Kupang, and Talisai-gubat.
With approximately 6.8 million hectares of watershed areas at risk of deforestation and degradation, and 1,955 barangays identified as vulnerable to flooding and landslides, the DENR underscores the urgency of this reforestation effort as a critical climate resilience strategy.

As part of the broader Expanded National Greening Program (ENGP), the DENR is also rehabilitating thousands of hectares of degraded land, targeting the establishment of 15,508 hectares of new plantations, the production of 7.88 million seedlings, and the maintenance of 44,861 hectares of reforested areas.

“Our forests and watersheds are our first line of defense against climate change,” Secretary Loyzaga stressed. “Through science-driven policies, advanced technologies, and multi-stakeholder collaboration, we are transforming the idea of climate resilience into reality.”