Sun Life Foundation partners with WWF to conserve the Sierra Madre

Manila, Philippines - Picture a vast emerald carpet extending from Cagayan to Quezon. From within, it is a verdant vision of life – where throngs of plants jostle for both space and sunlight. It is a place where Philippine Eagles (Pithecophaga jefferyi) soar, where Philippine crocodiles (Crocodylus mindorensis) still skulk.

 Stretching over 340 kilometers north to south and covering a land area of 359,486 hectares, the Sierra Madre is both the Philippines’ longest mountain range and its largest protected area.

Approximately 45 percent of all known Philippine endemic plants can be found within its lush, primeval forests – which in turn irrigate an estimated 400,000 hectares of rice farms and corn fields in the Cagayan Valley. 

Sadly its forests are continuously assailed by unchecked illegal logging, swidden farming and land clearing, threatening the livelihood of Cagayan Valley’s farmers. 

To address this, Sun Life Financial-Philippines (SLFP) recently partnered with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF-Philippines) to conserve and protect the life-giving forests of the Sierra Madre. 

Sun Life, through the Sun Life Foundation, has pledged to develop agroforestry sites within the Sierra Madre’s Abuan watershed by funding the procurement and distribution of over 4,000 mango and citrus seedlings, which will then be cultivated in 18 hectares of farmland. 

“Sun Life customers can now do their part in conserving the environment just by enrolling their policies and mutual fund accounts under the SunLink Online e-Notice. For every e-Notice enrollment of their billing notice and /or statement of account, Sun Life Foundation shall donate P5 to WWF,” says SLFP chief administration officer Karen Casas.

 WWF-Philippines senior water resources manager Ed Tongson, on the other hand, explains that “Water is the lifeblood of agriculture. By empowering customers to sustain Cagayan Valley’s largest water source, Sun Life and WWF are helping secure our future sources of corn and more importantly – of rice.” 

Sun Life customers can enroll for the Sunlink Online e-Notice by visiting www.sunlife.com.ph to create a SunLink Online user account.