THERMA Visayas Inc. (TVI), a wholly owned subsidiary of AboitizPower, has achieved a major environmental milestone by planting of over one million native tree seedlings across 10 cities and municipalities in Cebu—three years ahead of its 10-year target under the Carbon Sink Management Program (CSMP).
Launched in 2017, the CSMP is a decade-long carbon sequestration and reforestation program developed by TVI in partnership with the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI). It supports the company’s broader environmental management and community investment strategies.
As of the first quarter of 2025, the program has planted one million tree seedlings across 1,250 hectares; achieved a planting density of 800 trees per hectare; sequestered an estimated 27.75 million lbs (12,588 metric tons) of CO2 from 2017 to 2023; and engaged 701 farmers, more than 200 of whom remain active in maintenance.
The project is a collaboration among the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Central Visayas, Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI) and the Sawod-Kaladman Farmers Association. This benefitted 10 local government units in Cebu—Borbon, Tuburan, Asturias, Balamban, Cebu City, Toledo City, Pinamungajan, Barili, Dumanjug and Ronda—which served as the host sites.
Rhea Navarro, AboitizPower’s regional chief operating officer for the Visayas, AboitizPower Transition Business Group, said the early completion of the reforestation goal reflects strong community collaboration and the company’s deep commitment to safeguarding both the environment and local livelihoods.
“This program reflects AboitizPower’s core environmental philosophy—that sustainability is a mindset embedded in everything we do, even before we build our facilities. We already think about how we can protect the environment, help the community and leave behind something good that will last,” she said.
To mark the project’s completion, TVI and its partners planted an additional 200 cacao seedlings in Sitio Sinsin, Barangay Bato in Toledo City, Cebu. Farmers selected cacao for its market value and sustainability potential.
The group also inked a memorandum of agreement among TVI, the Toledo City Government and participating farmer groups to ensure continued support in maintaining the newly planted cacao seedlings, which will be turned over to the association after two years of TVI-supported maintenance.
Navarro added that no additional tree planting is planned for now, as efforts shift to ensuring the health and survival of existing trees while expanding livelihood through agroforestry, including cacao cultivation.
“The next phase is on surveillance and monitoring. We will give out allowances to the farmers who will help out with this. We need to monitor and make sure that the trees we planted will thrive and do its job in carbon sequestration and after that we will turn over the trees to the farmers and then use these fruit-bearing trees for their livelihood,” she explained.
Riella Mae Guioguio, chief operations officer of RAFI, committed to helping the group ensure long-term impact through continuous technical assistance and engagement.
Toledo City Mayor Marjorie Perales described the initiative as a comprehensive program that delivers environmental, economic and social benefits—crediting Aboitiz and TVI for their sustained support of local communities, including farmers and fisherfolk.
The CSMP forms part of AboitizPower’s broader sustainability agenda as it seeks to balance power generation with environmental stewardship and inclusive growth in host communities. / KOC