Renewable energy producer SN Aboitiz Power Group has underscored the role of watershed protection and forest conservation in sustaining hydroelectric operations, aligning its environmental programs with the observance of World Environment Day and its “Now for Climate” theme.

The renewable energy producer, which operates hydro facilities in Luzon through its joint venture between Norwegian renewable energy firm Scatec and Aboitiz Renewables, Inc., said its long-running watershed management and reforestation programs continue to support both ecosystem restoration and climate resilience in host communities.

At the core of its environmental efforts is SNAP-Magat’s Partnership in Uplifting Upland Natural Resources Livelihoods and Assets (PUNLA), an Upper Magat Watershed Management Program in Ifugao. The initiative covers enrichment planting, reforestation, and rehabilitation of parts of the Ifugao Rice Terraces landscape while engaging local communities in conservation and livelihood activities.

Company data showed PUNLA has rehabilitated and restored 34.3 hectares in Mayoyao and Banaue, reforested and enriched 100.44 hectares in Banaue and Hungduan, and developed five hectares of agroforestry farms in Lagawe. The interventions are estimated to have mitigated about 6,722 tons of soil erosion in Ifugao.

In Benguet, SNAP-Benguet, in partnership with the National Power Corporation, continues to implement a 5-kilometer-radius Technical Cooperation Agreement focused on forest fire prevention and suppression. The program maintains at least 13 kilometers of greenbelt zones and 12 kilometers of firebreaks annually, supported by community volunteers trained and mobilized for wildfire response.

The initiative also includes the Adopt-a-Watershed Program, covering a 1,000-hectare watershed area aligned with carbon sequestration objectives under the energy sector’s broader climate initiatives. SNAP said it has completed 42 hectares of its 50-hectare reforestation commitment from 2022 to 2025 under this program.

Further strengthening its land restoration strategy, SNAP is also scaling up the Aboitiz Passion for Agroforest and Reforest to Keep (A-PARK) program, which targets at least 20 hectares annually through native and fruit-bearing tree planting combined with agroforestry development.

As of May 31, 2026, the company reported 487, 775 seedlings planted across 408.34 hectares from 2008 to 2025, with an average survival rate of 91 percent, forming part of its long-term strategy to support watershed health and hydroelectric reliability.

On-ground activities for this year’s observance included a reservoir clean-up drive in Ramon, Isabela on June 5, and “Hug-a-Tree” eco-walks in Itogon and Bokod, Benguet on June 8 involving employees and local stakeholders.

SNAP said these initiatives are designed to strengthen environmental stewardship while supporting the sustainability of renewable energy generation dependent on watershed ecosystems.

How far can utility-scale watershed and reforestation programs go in securing the long-term reliability of hydropower assets in the Philippines amid increasing climate stressors?

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