By Adelene Britanico & Angel Cruzada

In line with the celebration of Philippine Environment Month, the Lopez Envi Festival officially kicked off last Tuesday, June 3, at the Rockwell Business Center Tower 3, Pasig City. The event brought together various employees and stakeholders from Lopez Group companies and foundations to discuss initiatives in combating plastic pollution, confronting climate change, and safeguarding biodiversity.

Mercedes Lopez-Vargas, President and Executive Director of the Lopez Group Foundation, Inc. (LGFI), welcomed attendees through a recorded message. She shared her support for the festival’s mission and emphasized the need for unity in environmental action.

Roberta Lopez-Feliciano, Managing Director of ABS-CBN Foundation Inc. (AFI)

Following her message, a vision statement from Roberta “Berta” Lopez-Feliciano, Managing Director of ABS-CBN Foundation Inc. (AFI), was also shared. She is part of the leadership behind the Lopez Envi Festival and shared her insights on the significance of this year’s gathering.

Combatting Plastic Pollution

In the first session of the program, Patrick Correa, Envi Lead of First Philippine Holdings (FPH) tackled “Combating Plastic Pollution: FPH Single-Use Plastic Policy.” The policy mandates a shift towards reusable, recyclable, or compostable alternatives and encourages behavioral change among employees and stakeholders. It also involves auditing plastic usage, integrating sustainable procurement practices, and collaborating with partners to reduce plastic waste across the supply chain.

“We encounter plastic everywhere, every time,” Correa said, pointing out that approximately 400 million tons of plastic are produced annually, with 85% ending up in landfills or the environment. He explained that the environmental impact of plastic waste is long-lasting, with some plastics taking up to 500 years to degrade. Correa introduced FPH’s Single-Use Plastic (SUP) Policy as a model of institutional reform, encouraging a shift in consumption behavior.

“We believe that we can make a change,” he stated, issuing a call to action for individuals and institutions alike.

Confronting Climate Change

Following his talk, Dr. Rodel D. Lasco, Executive Director of the Oscar M. Lopez Center (OMLC), presented the recent findings of the 2024 Philippine Climate Change Assessment (PhilCCA) Reports, focusing on both observed trends and projected climate scenarios. The first of its kind, the PhilCCA is modeled after the global reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Authored by the Philippines’ leading climate scientists and experts, the PhilCCA draws from local and international literature to provide a robust understanding of climate-related trends, risks, and vulnerabilities, offering up-to-date and detailed review of climate science relevant to the country.

A major finding in the PhilCCA is that Philippine temperatures could rise by as much as 4.1°C above current levels—a change that, while seemingly modest, could have profound consequences. To illustrate the gravity of this increase, Dr. Lasco likened the Earth to the human body: just as a two-degree rise in normal body temperature can lead to serious illness or even death, even a few degrees of global warming can trigger widespread disruption to ecosystems and human well-being.

“Who is to blame?,” Lasco asked, highlighting the human role in accelerating global warming. He explained that planetary warming is anthropogenic, or human-induced, driven largely by greenhouse gas emission from human activities such as fossil fuels, deforestation, industrial processes, and unsustainable consumption patterns. He noted that last year’s heatwaves, prolonged drought, and stronger typhoons in the Philippines were direct consequences of planetary warming and ocean temperature rise, both of which disrupt weather systems and intensify natural disasters. Stressing the need for urgent solutions, he said, “Collective action is what we want,” urging stakeholders to adopt climate mitigation strategies outlined in the center’s publications.

The PhilCCA 2024 can be accessed and downloaded from the website of the Oscar M. Lopez Center.

Ronino Gibe, Forester and Head of Corporate Relations at Energy Development Corporation (EDC)

Responding to Dr. Lasco's call to action, Ronino Gibe, a Forester and Head of Corporate Relations at Energy Development Corporation (EDC) Head Office, stated that planting trees is the best climate change mitigation strategy. EDC's BINHI Program aims to rescue one hundred forty-five threatened Philippine flora, including the critically endangered Philippine teak (Tectona philippinensis), also known as "Malabayabas," endemic to Lobo, Batangas, with an estimated 2,500 remaining individuals as of June 2025.

Lopez Holding Corporation's R4D program uses a ridge-to-reef approach for sustainable development. The BINHI Program partners with companies like First Gen Corporation, which this year purchased 218 trees on behalf of its customers. According to First Gen's Customer Experience Head, Ms. Celestine Trinidad, this initiative reflects the company's commitment to decarbonization and fostering a thriving future for businesses, communities, and the environment.

Edric Calma, Vice President of the Knowledge Channel Foundation, Inc. (KCFI)

Safeguarding Biodiversity

At the event, Knowledge Channel Foundation, Inc. (KCFI) Vice President Edric Calma previewed two new "Wow" episodes—Wow Negros (Laya) and Wow Kidapawan (Diwa), produced in partnership with EDC. The Laya episode features the critically endangered Visayan Hornbill, locally known as tariktik, whose population is threatened by human activity and deforestation, while the Diwa episode focuses on the Apo Myna, a black, long-tailed bird with a white back patch and bright yellow bare skin around its eyes.

The KCFI and EDC collaboration bridges cultural knowledge, sharing information about local flora and fauna through media, and promotes environmental conservation and preservation. The partnership emphasizes the importance of biodiversity preservation and conservation, Calma highlighted “Ang balanse sa kalikasan ay nakapagbibigay sa atin ng ng proteksyon, ‘di lamang laban sa pagbabago ng klima at mga natural na sakuna, kundi kahit na rin sa mga bagay na may kinalaman sa seguridad sa pagkain, kalusugan at sa pagpapanatili ng ating kultura. Pati kultura ay nakasalalay sa mayamang kalikasan.”

Abegail Gatdula, Watershed Management Officer of Energy Development Corporation (EDC)

EDC's BINHI program uses a comprehensive and integrated approach to forest landscape restoration to create shared value for the environment, community, and business. According to Abegail Gatdula, Watershed Management Officer of EDC, "Protecting and conserving biodiversity is not only strategically important to our business but is also integral to our regenerative mission." Under EDC BINHI, the Flagship Species Initiative (FSI) focuses on the conservation of nine native flora and fauna (including the Visayan hornbill, and Apo myna) found within EDC’s areas of operations. The species serve as Icons for campaigning and mainstreaming biodiversity conservation and are ambassadors for the Company’s advocacy on sustainability and its regenerative mission.

Catch the new episodes of Wow starting August (Diwa) and November (Laya) every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday at 5:20 PM to 5:40 PM on Knowledge Channel - available on cable,direct-to-home satellite, and DTT, and online through iWantTFC. It will also be available on Knowledge Channel School Anywhere on Kapamilya Channel and A2Z. Wow and other KCFI video lessons are also available on-demand through its official Facebook and Youtube pages, and educational snippets on its TikTok account.

Knowledge Channel Foundation, Inc.’s booth

Event Booths and Exhibitions

Various booths were also set up for the event where the Lopez Group employees were invited to visit after the talk. KCFI brought the "Knowledge on the Go" game for its booth and engaged employees with educational trivia and Knowledge Channel merchandise prizes.

OML Center’s booth transformed into a video recording space for the “Kwentong Kalikasan, Likas sa Kapamilya” storytelling initiative, which invites all Lopez Group employees to share their personal environmental or climate stories. Employees can submit their entries, whether in narrative or video format, by June 20 through this link: bit.ly/KKLK-form.

EDC BINHI’s booth offered native tree seedlings and locally sourced coffee, encouraging Lopez Group employees to be part of their sustainability and reforestation efforts.

At the Eugenio Lopez Center’s booth, participants were introduced to the hotel’s offerings, including its dining options.

Back to Basic Ecostore brought their zero-waste grocery store, offering sustainable pantry staples, snacks, home essentials, and fashion items.

HMR Envirocycle Phils, Inc. introduced their company’s e-waste recycling services, including tailored liquidation strategies, asset valuation, and recovery services for a more sustainable approach to electronic waste disposal.

In continued celebration of Environment Month, here are some events of the Lopez Group you don't want to miss:

SAVE THE DATE: Walk the Talk happening this June 28!

To culminate the Lopez Envi Festival 2025, the Lopez Group invites all employees and stakeholders to join the first Walk the Talk (WTT) of the year with the theme, “Kapamilya Para sa Kapaligiran at Kalusugan” happening on June 28, Saturday, from 6:00AM-11:00AM at Consuelo Park Pavilion, First Philippine Industrial Park in Batangas. This event aims to promote environmental awareness while encouraging physical activity and healthy living.

As part of the event’s sustainability goals, participants are encouraged to donate at least 2-3 plastic items during the on-site registration, which will be handed over to Plastic Flamingo for recycling. For registration and event details, employees are encouraged to coordinate with their respective HR representatives.

“Kapamilya Para sa Kapaligiran”: Lopez Group of Companies unite for Environment Conservation Awareness

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