Cebu Pacific foundation launches mangrove project in Capiz

ILOILO CITY — Cebu Pacific, listed on the Philippine Stock Exchange under the ticker CEB, has launched Cebu Pacific Foundation Inc. (CPFI) as the airline marks its 30th anniversary.

The foundation aims to strengthen community resilience and advance sustainable tourism through nature-based solutions.

It plans to work with local organizations, the private sector, civil society, development institutions, and government agencies to reduce disaster and climate risks, protect ecosystems, strengthen livelihoods, and create opportunities for sustainable local economies.

CPFI chairman and president Xander Lao said the foundation seeks to extend Cebu Pacific’s role in connecting people and communities beyond air travel.

“For three decades, Cebu Pacific has connected people, places, and opportunities.”

“Through our Foundation, we hope to build on that role by connecting people on the ground with the institutions, expertise, and resources they need to protect the natural environments that sustain them and create better opportunities for their families,” Lao said.

The foundation’s first major initiative is the Resilience & Inclusive Support for Empowerment of Capiz Coastal Communities Project, or RISE Capiz Coast Project, centered initially on Barangay Culajao in Roxas City before expanding to other parts of the city and the municipalities of Ivisan and Panay in Capiz.

The project aims to restore 100 hectares of degraded coastal areas through mangrove rehabilitation, with a target of reaching 500 hectares by 2030.

Beyond ecosystem restoration, the initiative will provide capacity building for livelihoods, disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation, or DRR-CCA, and other interventions tailored to communities that depend on coastal resources.

The Katunggan sa Culajao Salbaron Association Inc. (KACUSA), which leads local stewardship efforts in Barangay Culajao, sees the project as an opportunity to restore ecosystems and livelihoods affected by Typhoon Yolanda.

Typhoon Yolanda, internationally known as Haiyan, caused widespread destruction in Capiz and other parts of the Philippines in November 2013, prompting the government to declare a state of national calamity.

KACUSA president Christopher Dasal said the community’s ecotourism activities and sources of income were disrupted by the typhoon.

“We were greatly affected by Typhoon Yolanda, disrupting our eco-tourism activities and our income sources.”

“We are grateful and hopeful that this partnership will not only restore our mangrove forests, but also help revive tourism, strengthen our economic situation, and create new opportunities for our families,” Dasal said.

RISE Capiz Coast will be implemented with Futures Inc., a Japan-based project developer linked to climate finance, and the Zoological Society of London, an international conservation organization.

The foundation said it welcomes collaboration with organizations and individuals seeking to advance environmental and economic outcomes through shared expertise, resources, and local leadership.

Partnership inquiries, participation in foundation initiatives, and inquiries about investment in impact opportunities may be directed to CPFI executive director Voltaire P. Alferez at contact@cebupacificfoundation.org.