Petron Corporation has signed a memorandum of agreement with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the Provincial Government of Bataan, and the local government of Limay for the reforestation of 30 hectares within the Limay Watershed Rehabilitation site in Barangay Duale.
The initiative is part of Petron’s Puno ng Buhay program, the company’s flagship environmental sustainability effort focused on minimizing its ecological footprint through carbon capture and nature-based solutions.
The agreement was signed on December 18 at the DENR Central Office in Quezon City by Petron General Manager Lubin B. Nepomuceno, Petron SVP and CFO Emmanuel E. Eraña, DENR Secretary Raphael PM. Lotilla, Bataan Board Member Angelito Sunga (on behalf of Governor Jose Enrique S. Garcia III), Special Assistant to the Mayor Christian Torio (on behalf of Limay Mayor Richie Jason D. David), and SAMASAKA (Samahang Magsasaka sa Kabundukan ng Limay Bataan Inc.) Chairman Jaime B. Dayap.
Under the MOA, Petron, in partnership with the Municipality of Limay and its MENRO, will spearhead efforts to protect and rehabilitate the area’s upland ecosystems, restore forest cover, and assess its carbon sequestration potential, with technical support from the University of the Philippines Los Baños College of Forestry and Natural Resources. To ensure the sustainability of the project, Petron will also engage local residents of Barangay Duale and members of SAMASAKA, the project’s partner people’s organization, in the restoration and maintenance activities.
Puno ng Buhay has grown into a nationwide movement for environmental preservation. Through this program, Petron has planted over a million trees and mangroves across the country with the help of its employee volunteers and fenceline communities, reflecting their shared commitment to environmental protection. Puno ng Buhay plays a vital role in reducing the company’s carbon footprint and safeguarding natural habitats around Petron facilities.
In addition to its reforestation efforts in Bataan, beginning as early as 2009, Petron is also deeply committed to implementing other environmental initiatives in the province, where its refinery is located. These include the protection of marine life through a fish sanctuary in Limay, its long-standing support for the Bataan’s Pawikan Conservation and Protection Program, and regular clean-up of shorelines surrounding the Petron Bataan Refinery and Limay Terminal, among others.
From left: SAMASAKA (Samahang Magsasaka sa Kabundukan ng Limay Bataan Inc.) Chairman Jaime B. Dayap, Special Assistant to the Mayor Christian Torio (on behalf of Limay Mayor Richie Jason D. David), Bataan Board Member Angelito Sunga (on behalf of Governor Jose Enrique S. Garcia III), DENR Secretary Raphael PM. Lotilla, Petron General Manager Lubin B. Nepomuceno, and Petron SVP and CFO Emmanuel E. Eraña at the MOA signing on December 18 at the DENR Central Office in Quezon City.
