Thai oil firm partners with DENR to plant trees

MANILA, Philippines - PTT Philippines Corp. (PTTPC), a subsidiary of Thailand’s biggest oil company, is stepping up its commitment to protect the  environment with its new ‘Gas Up for a Tree’ project.

PTT is partnering with the Department of Natural Resources (DENR) to plant at least 10,000 seedlings of fruit bearing trees, dipteracarps – lawaan, apitong, narra, and other hardwood species in some 50 hectares of denuded land in Sitio Kanawan, Morong, Bataan.

More than 100 Aeta families belonging to the Magbukun tribe  would benefit from the greening project.

The two organizations, along with other project partners, including PTT’s corporate social responsibility arm PTT Philippines Foundation Inc. (PTTPFI), are set to sign a memorandum of agreement (MOA) this month.

PTT believes that business organizations can contribute in saving the environment by initiating programs that create environmental awareness and a call to action. 

“In PTT, we strongly believe in social responsibility. It has been a priority area of our parent company PTT Thailand and we are carrying  the same commitment in the Philippines,” said Korawat Sungmongkol, corporate communications manager PTT Philippines, adding “The Gas Up for a Tree project demonstrates our vow in nurturing and sustaining our biodiversity.”

“We are pleased that PTT Philippines is working with the government through DENR to help in our effort to save the environment and in support of the government’s National Greening Program. 

Every contribution and program such as ‘Gas Up for a Tree’ is a welcome development for us. We hope that more organizations will follow suit,” said DENR regional executive director Maximo O. Dichoso

The ‘Gas Up for a Tree’ project will initially reforest 20 hectares of land and seeks to add 30 more hectares after the first phase of implementation. 

The local Aetas would be provided livelihood in managing the nursery of the seedlings to be planted and in taking care of the rehabilitation and maintenance of the reforestation site. 

Under the program, every purchase of P1,000 worth of PTT gasoline and diesel products commits PTT to plant one tree. The project aims to commit 10,000 trees in the next six months.

PTT said it hopes to generate support and participation from the consumers with the growing need to save the environment. 

Consumers who support the program would be invited to join the actual tree planting activity.

“More than ever, now is the time to act and get involved. Each of us can contribute – in more ways than one. PTT Philippines together with our 200 employees and their families and other volunteers will take part in environmental efforts,” added Sungmongkol.

Aside from the DENR, other partners involved in the project are the National Commission for Indigenous People (NCIP), National Research Council of the Philippines (NRCP), Bataan Peninsula State University (BPSU), Mga Bayani ng Kalikasan, Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA), and Wide Out Technology.

The ‘Gas Up a Tree’ project is one of the environmentally focused projects that PTT has initiated in the past years.

PTT is the largest petroleum company in Thailand engaged in the downstream and upstream petroleum business including petrochemical and fuel trading business.

PTT has a ranking of 95 for 2012 in the Fortune Global 500 with revenues of $ 79 billion.

The Fortune Global 500 is the annual ranking of the top 500 corporations worldwide by revenue as compiled and listed by Fortune 500 magazine.

PTT Philippines Corp. (PTTPC) is one of the wholly owned subsidiary companies in the Philippines of PTT.

PTTPC is tasked to supply and distribute various petroleum and lubricant products in the Philippine domestic market and have various retail gasoline stations in Metro Manila, Central Luzon and Cebu.