The Philippines is one of the most biodiverse archipelagos in the world and is home to over 50,000 described species of plants. 

However, due to activities such as deforestation, habitat exploitation, waste disposal, and pollution, the Philippines is rapidly losing numerous plant species that contribute to its vibrant tropical habitat. To combat the negative effects of climate change, GCash is actively helping to plant trees in the Philippines through GForest.

With GForest, all GCash users can contribute to the preservation of the environment – and you can too. When you plant trees virtually on GForest, GCash transforms these into real trees to support the preservation of our forest reserves. 

How it works: Earning Green Energy Points so you can start planting trees

For every successful GCash transaction, you can earn a certain amount of Green Energy Points and collect it 24 hours later in GForest in the app. You can collect green energy points when you Buy Load, Send Money, Pay Bills, Cash-In, or even when you register up to 20,000 steps per day from walking. Every transaction is a real contribution, so it’s important to collect energy every day. 

When you have enough Green Energy points, you can plant a virtual tree that will be planted by GCash and its local and international partners in key locations nationwide.

There are different types of trees to choose from, including the new Cannonball Mangrove, the Red Mangrove, and sometimes, there are even limited edition trees that can be planted at certain times of the year, such as a limited edition Pine Tree in December 2023. You can choose between the different types of trees GCash offers, depending on Green Energy Points you have and what different types of trees are worth. Usually, the more energy points required to plant a specific tree, the more effective the tree will be in helping sequester carbon from the environment.

For every tree planted on GForest, GCash turns it into a real one

GForest ensures that every virtual plant collected is converted into a real tree. To date, GCash has planted over 2.7 million actual trees in 14 key areas nationwide as of 2023). An estimated 346,000 trees have been planted in Luzon, 1.1 million in Visayas and 1.1 million in Mindanao. 

An estimated 8,600 smallholder farming families have benefited from this initiative. GForest is not only helping the environment, it also helps improve the livelihood of farmers in climate change affected areas in the Philippines.

A step-by-step guide on using GForest

Using GForest and planting real trees from the comfort of your own home is as easy as following four simple steps: 

1. Earn green energy points when you use GCash. Transactions like sending money, paying bills, buying load, and cashing-in your wallet will earn you points. 
2. Next, collect your green energy points after 24 hours of your transaction on the GForest dashboard. Tap on your points to collect them – you can also collect points from your friends! 
3. When you have enough points to plant a tree, head to the GForest virtual nursery and choose a tree to plant. 
4. Once you’ve selected a tree, exchange your points to plant a virtual free – and then, GCash and its partners will plant a reel tree on your behalf! You’ll even receive a certificate for your valuable contribution to the country’s biggest digital eco-movement.  

Through GCash, you can be part of a bigger digital eco-movement to rebuild our country’s forests. Keep giving back to the environment with a gift that will surely benefit it for many years to come. Be a green hero and contribute to rebuilding our forests – one digital tree at a time when you use GCash. – Rappler.com

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