PTT Philippines Partners with DENR for the "Gas Up for a Tree Project"

Sitio Kanawan, Morong, Bataan

Environmental activists always imply that petroleum corporations are the culprits of global warming. The former tag the latter as insensitive money hungry capitalists who do nothing but destroy the environment especially our earth's ozone layer causing much more natural calamities. But we should all know that the only way to save the earth today is by planting more trees. And aside from those environmental activists who actually use fuels for their transportation too, a petroleum company is also out there to save the environment.

PTT fuels distributor PTT Philippines Corporation (PTTPC), a subsidiary of Thailand's biggest oil company is enhancing its commitment for protecting the environment by opening its Gas UP for a Tree Project.

PTT is partnering with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to plant at least 10,000 seedling of fruit bearing trees. These trees are dipteracarps - lawaan, apitong, narra, and other hardwood species in some 50 hectares of denuded land in Sitio Kanawan, Morong, Bataan.

More than 100 Aeta families belonging to Magbukun tribe residing in the community will benefit from the greening project.

DENR and PTT, along with other project partners, including the latter's corporate social responsibility arm PTT Philippines Foundation, Inc. (PTTPFI), signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) this April 2013 for the Gas Up for a Tree Project. 

PTT believes that business organizations can step-up and save the environment by creating programs like the Gas Up for a Tree Project. They are influencing other companies to do such things too.

“In PTT, we strongly believe in social responsibility. It has been a priority area of our parent company PTT Thailand and we are carrying the same commitment in the Philippines,” said Korawat Sungmongkol, Corporate Communications Manager, PTT Philippines. 

“The Gas Up for a Tree project demonstrates our vow in nurturing and sustaining our biodiversity.”

“We are pleased that PTT Philippines is working with the government through DENR to help in our efforts to save the environment and in support of the governments National Greening Program.  Every contribution and program such as ‘Gas Up for a Tree’ is a welcome development for us. We hope that more organizations will follow suit,” said DENR Regional Executive Director Maximo O. Dichoso 

The “Gas Up for a Tree” project will initially reforest 20 hectares of land and seeks to add 30 more hectares after the first phase of implementation.  The local Aetas will be provided livelihood in managing the nursery of the seedlings to be planted and take care of the rehabilitation and maintenance of the reforestation site.  

Under the program, every purchase of P1,000 worth of PTT gasoline and diesel products commits PTT to plant one tree. The project aims to commit 10,000 trees in the next six months. 

PTT hopes to generate more support and participation from their consumers with the growing need to save the environment. Consumers who will support the program will be invited to join the actual tree planting activity.

“More than ever, now is the time to act and get involved. Each of us can contribute – in more ways than one. PTT Philippines together with our 200 employees and their families and other volunteers will take part in environmental efforts,” added Sungmongkol.

Aside from the DENR, other partners involved in the project are the National Commission for Indigenous People (NCIP), National Research Council of the Philippines (NRCP), Bataan Peninsula State University (BPSU), Mga Bayani ng Kalikasan, Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA), and Wide Out Technology.

The “Gas Up a Tree” project is one of the environmentally focused projects that PTT has initiated in the past years.

Imagine this field filled with over 10,000 fruit bearing trees

(PHOTO COURTESY OF PTT PHILIPPINES CORPORATION)