MANILA – The foothills of the Sierra Madre mountain range serves as the watershed that provides over 97 percent of Metro Manila’s water supply through the Angat-Umiray-Ipo watersheds. Despite increased awareness on its critical role on the growth of the metropolis, the watershed continues to face various risks.
The Coca-Cola System, which is comprised of Coca-Cola Philippines and its bottling partner, Coca-Cola FEMSA Philippines, is allocating P25 million for a five-year program to rehabilitate and protect the Ipo Watershed, particularly in the area of Sapang Munti in the town of Norzagaray in Bulacan. This program will be implemented through a partnership with the World Wide Fund for Nature-Philippines and the Coca-Cola Foundation Philippines, Inc.
“Delivering social and economic value is central to the way we do business. We are excited to have this opportunity to participate actively in the promotion and protection of our watersheds and natural resources to support the sustainability of our communities,” said Fabricio Ponce, chief executive officer of Coca-Cola FEMSA Philippines.
In line with its thrust to create healthy and sustainable water systems for communities, the Coca-Cola System, which is composed of Coca-Cola Philippines, its bottling partner, Coca-Cola FEMSA Philippines, and the Coca-Cola Foundation Philippines, is partnering with the World Wide Fund for Nature-Philippines to aid in the preservation, conservation, and rehabilitation of the Ipo Watershed in Sapang Munti in Bulacan. WWF-Philippines president and chief executive officer Jose Angelito Palma, Coca-Cola FEMSA Philippines chief executive officer Fabricio Ponce, Coca-Cola Philippines president and general manager Diego Granizo, and Coca-Cola Foundation Philippines president Cecile Alcantara signed the memorandum of agreement.
“The protection and conservation of our natural resources, particularly water, are two of the major thrusts of the Company,” said Diego Granizo, president and general manager of Coca-Cola Philippines.
The Coca-Cola System in the Philippines has established a 100 percent replenishment target by 2020, which aims to return to communities and nature every drop of water that is used in the production of its beverages while continuously working on the intensive reduction of water usage in its bottling facilities. Its flagship Agos Water Stewardship Program provides safe-water access to communities, water for productive use to small farmers, and protects and restores watersheds.
“The support of the private sector is crucial in the conservation and rehabilitation of the Ipo Watershed-Sapang Munti, which provides the water supply for over 12 million people living in and around Metro Manila. The five-year project will focus on improving the status of the watershed through a joint effort with the local communities,” said Jose Angelito Palma, president and chief executive officer of World Wide Fund for Nature-Philippines.
The five-year program will focus primarily on the development of a management plan and governance system, particularly on forest protection and rehabilitation, awareness campaigns, capacity building, and environmental education. Some of the pressing concerns in the watershed are the conversion of open grasslands and forest degradation. The program aims to improve the management of the Sapang Munti micro-watershed to increase groundwater recharge, and to minimize erosion and siltation, which leads to disruptions in the delivery of water services, increasing the cost of filtering and reducing dam life.
Deforestation through illegal logging and the agricultural method of ‘kaingin’ is still prevalent on the Sierra Madre mountain ranges and in the surrounding areas of the Ipo Watershed. The rehabilitation and management program aims to contribute to the sustainability of the watershed and the communities surrounding it.
In main photo: Coca-Cola Foundation Philippines president Cecile Alcantara, WWF-Philippines president and chief executive officer Jose Angelito Palma, Coca-Cola Philippines president and general manager Diego Granizo, and Coca-Cola FEMSA chief executive officer Fabricio Ponce celebrate the signing of the P25-million five-year partnership that aims to preserve, conserve, and rehabilitate portions of the Angat-Ipo-Umiray water systems, the primary source of water for the over 12 million residents of Metro Manila.
