Energy Development Corporation (EDC) and First Balfour have partnered to uphold their shared commitment to sustainability through a tree-growing activity at the designated Miyawaki forest in the latter’s headquarters in Parañaque.
This initiative, which leverages the Miyawaki method of creating a dense and fast-growing urban forest, is designed to introduce much-needed green space to what First Balfour refers to as the “concrete jungle.”
Atty. Allan Barcena, EDC assistant vice president and corporate support functions head, underscored the project’s dual purpose in his address.
“This is special for us because it’s not just about growing trees—it’s about building something meaningful together as part of the Lopez Group family,” he said.
The Miyawaki method allows for a self-sustaining mini-forest to emerge in just a few decades—an ideal solution for urban environments where every bit of green space matters.
This initiative also directly supports EDC BINHI’s mission to bring native trees back to abundance and increase public appreciation for them.
A total of 58 seedlings from 14 Philippine native species were planted, including bagauak morado, malakatmon, bignaipugo, igem-dagat, ebony, o-oi, apunan, kamagong, banuyo, molave, bolong eta, yakal-saplungan, Quisumbing gisok and yakal-malibato.
As they mature, these trees are expected to sequester nearly 1.53 tonnes of carbon dioxide—a small but powerful step in advancing nature-based climate solutions.
During the tree-growing activity, Barcena took time to converse with young engineers and architects from First Balfour, emphasizing the importance of propagating and protecting the country’s indigenous tree species as a cornerstone of sustainability.
On behalf of EDC BINHI, Barcena expressed his gratitude: “May this pocket forest grow into a symbol of what we can achieve when we work together—one Philippine native tree seedling at a time—for a greener and more sustainable future for all Filipinos.”
