DBP grants PHP 5.39M for Tarlac reforestation drive

State-owned Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) has formalized PHP 5.39 million in assistance under its corporate social responsibility (CSR) program for the environment to the Provincial Government of Tarlac to jump-start reforestation activities in the town of San Jose and mitigate the risk of flooding in the area, a top official said.

DBP President and Chief Executive Officer Michael O. de Jesus said the bank’s assistance under its DBP Forest Program (DFP) would enable the local government to plant 22,440 native and fruit-bearing trees on at least 100 hectares of open and degraded grasslands and forestlands.

“This collaboration with the Tarlac Provincial Government is a manifestation of the tangible efforts of the Bank to promote initiatives that will protect the environment, prevent soil erosion, conserve water, and provide habitat to wildlife while generating income opportunities for our countrymen,” de Jesus said.

DBP is the 10th-largest bank in the country, providing credit support to four priority sectors of the economy: infrastructure and logistics; micro, small and medium enterprises; the environment; and social services and community development.

Tarlac is a first-class landlocked province in Central Luzon with a population of more than 1.5 million people, while the town of San Jose is the largest municipality in the province in terms of land area.

De Jesus said the DFP is a flagship CSR program established in 2005 and designed to protect the country’s critical forest areas, watersheds and coastal areas, and provide income-generating opportunities for its host communities. As of the end of September 2026, DBP had released PHP 124.98 million covering 57 projects, with 6.74 million seedlings planted on 6,545 hectares in various provinces nationwide.

He said the project would involve planting native and fruit-bearing trees, such as narra, palosapis, Benguet pine, lauan, tamarind and duhat.

“This initiative would not only help create a more resilient ecosystem that reduces flood risks in the province but also open up livelihood opportunities for around 100 upland residents of San Jose by providing agricultural resources to support their production, cultivation, and establishment of small-scale plant nurseries,” de Jesus said.

He said DBP aims to build more meaningful collaborations with like-minded institutions and organizations to preserve the country’s rich biodiversity in support of the Marcos administration’s goal of mitigating the ill effects of climate change.

“The Bank shall continue to uphold and strengthen programs for the environment for the sake of present and future generations of Filipinos,” de Jesus said.