Lopez Group chairman emeritus Oscar M. Lopez signs the Binhi Green Thumb wallEnergy Development Corporation (EDC) celebrated Binhi Day at its One Corporate Centre headquarters on June 24, 2016.

Watershed Management Department manager Atty. Allan Barcena welcomed the participants to the celebration, themed “Return of the Native Trees,” while vice president for Human Resources Management Beth Nasol introduced the Zero Hero program.

First Philippine Holdings Corporation chief sustainability officer Agnes de Jesus introduced the special guest speaker, Lopez Group chairman emeritus Oscar M. Lopez (OML).

“Trees are multitaskers for the ecosystem. Particularly for us here in the Philippines, planting trees is one concrete action we can all take to increase our resilience and defend ourselves against the devastating effects of climate change,” OML said.

OML also led the ribboncutting ceremony to formally open an exhibit showcasing the products and services of Binhi partners, including Rain Forest Restoration Initiative, Philippine Tropical Forest Conservation Foundation (PTFCF), Haribon Foundation, Institute of Agroforestry-UPLB, DENR-Forest Management Bureau, and Non-Timber Forest Products and Exchange Program’s Custom Made Crafts Center Inc.

The undertaking ended with talks from Eric Buduan of PTFCF, who focused on the importance of Philippine native trees; Dr. Rodel Lasco of OML Center, who zoomed in on native trees and climate change; and Thaddeus Martinez of Haribon Foundation, who explained the local scale drivers of tree survival and the Forest Resources bill.

The Lopez Group HR Council’s Zero Hero program was also launched on the same day. The initiative aims to promote a zero-waste lifestyle among the employees. (Story/Photos by: Gerbs de Castro)