Renewable energy developer Vena Energy Philippines marked World Environment Day with a tree-planting activity in Antipolo City, Rizal, as it moves to expand its environmental stewardship commitments alongside its clean energy portfolio in the Philippines.

The initiative was held in Sitio Kilingan, Barangay San Jose, where 19 employee volunteers and 100 members of the local People’s Organization, Samahan ng Magsasaka sa Kilingan-Panusugin, Inc. (SMKPI), planted 200 seedlings composed of molave, white lauan, and soursop species. 

The activity supports the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ (DENR) Forests for Life program, which targets the planting of at least five million indigenous trees nationwide from 2025 to 2028.

The program is part of broader efforts to strengthen forest conservation, biodiversity restoration, and climate mitigation through private sector participation and community-based forest management.

Vena Energy Philippines head Samrinder Nehria said the initiative reflects the company’s expanding environmental commitments beyond its core renewable energy projects.

“This ceremonial tree planting is our first step in honouring the commitment we have made to adopt and plant on an initial 50 hectares of forest land, with the aim of adopting more areas in the country that need our support and where tangible, hands-on actions are called for to ensure the promise of sustainable development is kept,” he said.

The tree-planting activity follows a memorandum of agreement signed on February 11, 2026 between DENR and Vena Energy, formalising the company’s participation in the Forests for Life initiative.

A second agreement was also signed during the event between Vena Energy and SMKPI, committing to the planting and maintenance of 28,000 trees across 50 hectares in Rizal. Under the arrangement, the community group will oversee plantation establishment and long-term maintenance, marking its first partnership with a private sector entity.

Provincial environment officials highlighted the significance of the collaboration for community-based forest management efforts in Rizal.

“This is the very first signing of an agreement with a People’s Organization. Let us not waste this opportunity. The importance of trees includes both tangible and intangible benefits,” Bryan Ulic-Ulic, Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO) Rizal Community-Based Forest Management (CBFM) Provincial Coordinator, said.

“For example, better climatic conditions – we cannot pay for that. The motto of the CBFM is ‘People first and sustainability will follow,’ and this initiative will be one of our solutions for our sustainable environment,” he added.

The Antipolo site was identified for its ecological relevance to the Greater Metro Manila area and forms part of Vena Energy’s broader community engagement footprint in Rizal, where the company also operates and develops renewable energy and sustainability programs.

How significant are private-sector led reforestation initiatives like this in strengthening the Philippines’ energy transition narrative beyond power generation?

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