MBS Manila (Merck) Remains Committed to Caring for the Sierra Madre Mountains

21 July 2023, Laguna Quezon Land Grant, SIniloan, Laguna.  Merck Business Solutions Asia Inc. (MBS) took their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to another level by adding 720 native Philippine forest trees to the Sierra Madre mountain range, at the Laguna Quezon Land Grant in Siniloan, Laguna; adding to their first 722 trees in 2021, 300 in 2022 and a food forest perennial vegetable garden established for the local community seed bank also in 2022.

“MBS Manila Remains Committed to Caring for the Sierra Madre Mountains”

By Nelen Fajardo, Sustainability lead for Merck PH

We at MBS Manila know the value of commitment. We believe that our constant efforts to plant along the protected land grant in Laguna have a major impact on the environment. As part of our dedication to corporate social responsibility, we recently held a tree-planting event to donate 700+ trees in celebration of our 7th MBS anniversary. We wanted to show our commitment to making a better world for future generations through this project, which allowed us to give back to nature at the same time.

The CSR experts excitedly traveled to Siniloan Laguna for our tree-planting event on July 21, 2023. With bamboo shovels and a sense of purpose, the 76 volunteers got their hands on the ground knowing that their simple work can truly make a difference. The event was held near the Sierra Madre Mountains, which reduce typhoon strength by at least half.

Before planting, we were briefed on trees’ significance to climate change and environmental conservation. Ms. Anne Marie M. Bakker, Director of Fostering Education & Environment for Development, Inc. (“FEED”), stressed the importance of tree planting in mitigating carbon emissions, providing wildlife habitats, preventing soil erosion, and promoting sustainable water management.

After the briefing, we got to work planting local tree species. We felt a strong connection to nature and a great respect for the life-giving force of these future trees as we withdrew the seedling from the plastic bag and delicately planted each sapling.

Tree planting was also about creating volunteer relationships. Working together and seeing the outcomes gave us a sense of purpose and togetherness.

The day was filled with laughter, sweat, and games. The mountain rangers’ smiles and gratitude were heartening.

Our tree planting was a huge success, showing the power of community action and environmental consciousness. By creating a greener future, we hope to recruit more volunteers to protect the world. We at MBS Manila believe that together we can create a world where nature survives, communities thrive, and our shared environment remains a cherished gift.

Special thanks to Agel Malassab for creating this video. Enjoy watching 🙂

Thank you Merck Eco-Warriors!

1 ELISABERT 26 Stephen Celucia 51 Daniel Ruedas
2 Ma Jezza Zamora 27 Lailanie Grace Carbungco 52 Joanna Gregorio
3 Ma. Louise Camille T. Icaro 28 Paul Adrian L. Villaber 53 Arlene Soriano
4 Andrea Amor Selga 29 Benjie Dalog 54 Kc Mae Ebron
5 CHENIE MAY BADON 30 ROBINSON D. AJOC 55 Jennybelle Bautista
6 Niel Bryan Alvior 31 mark vincent siena 56 EVELYN G. ADANTE
7 Ron John Jacob 32 Roxanne Molina B. Santos 57 JYNDREEX ENAD
8 Phoebe Anne Fortaleza 33 Sales Irine 58 Riza Dadizon
9 JEWELL GONZALES 34 Joanne Ilaw 59 Renz Aldrin Manuel
10 Henry Ifurung 35 Yuvraj Desai 60 Angelique Hizon
11 John Mark Sandoy 36 Lovely Carina Bituin 61 Jasmine damasco
12 Jezelle Austriaco 37 Karl Angelo 62 Geneve de Leon
13 Elena Bautista 38 Maricris G. Lopez 63 Jasper Balmaceda
14 KRISTINE CANDIDATO 39 Andrea Marie 64 Leena Grace Alba
15 Chelsia Alexea Camps 40 JULLIE MAE MAAN 65 Kristine De Nava
16 Arrianne Dictado 41 Jeanalyn Cabang 66 JERVE ANO
17 Joyce Ann Basilio 42 Rolando Santos Jr 67 REGINE ASCANO
18 Charmaine A. Dela Vega 43 Baby Grace A. Catungal 68 FORONDA
19 Maria Iris Evangelista 44 Melody Torculas 69 Karla Tabal
20 Rose Ann Olea 45 Genevie de Leon 70 Jane Ycierto
21 Agel Malassab 46 Rio Javier 71 Ma. Kristela Onda
22 Jubelyh Salcedo 47 Roshel Marin 72 Santos Kimberly
23 Aimee Valerio 48 Vannezca Marie 73 Maureen Cardano
24 Carlo Jay Arreza 49 Lizza Patricia
25 Kazzan Angela Jalac 50 Vannezca Marie C. Nanca

Thank you Merck for walking your sustainability talk so convincingly adding to your Sierra Madre forest, may the forest be with you all, always.

GPS Coordinates

Use any GPS (Global Positioning System) software / applications to input the latitude and longitude coordinates to be able to remotely see the location of your trees planted. Some examples include:

 GPS PICS TO FOLLOW.

1,742 Tonnes Carbon Sequestered

This being Merck’s third planting – which cumulatively totals 1,742 trees – if based on the universal 1tonne of carbon sequestered per tree in its lifetime, equates to an estimated 1,742 Tonnes of carbon sequestered.

“In 2019, humans emitted more than 35 billion tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere by burning fossil fuels. It can be difficult to picture a “ton” of a gas like CO2, so let’s describe it in a few different ways.

Imagine a cube 27 feet tall, wide, and long. But just in case that’s a little hard to picture, imagine a cube almost as tall, wide, and long as a telephone pole. That’s how much space it would take to hold a metric ton of CO2.1 (We’re going to talk in metric tons here, because that’s how scientists measure CO2. A metric ton is 2,204.6 lbs, and is a little bigger than the American ton’s 2,000 lbs and a little smaller than the British ton’s at 2,240 lbs —but the three are fairly comparable.)

And remember, this is literally a ton. While it may not seem like a gas can weigh that much, this 27’ x 27’ x 27’ cube has the same weight as a great white shark or, well, a ton of bricks (400 bricks!)”.

Source: MIT Climate Portal, Accessed from https://climate.mit.edu/ask-mit/how-much-ton-carbon-dioxide.

Photo Collage

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About Merck Business Solutions Asia Inc.

Thank you to MERCK for supporting our community livelihood programs, protection and conservation programs of the Sierra Madre mountains.

Merck has been active in Philippines since 1977, when the first representation was opened. Please find below further information about our subsidiaries and distributors in Philippines . Get in touch with us.

As a vibrant science and technology company, we believe in science as a force for good. We make a positive difference in millions of people’s lives every day.

Our passion for science and technology is what drives our 58,000 employees in 66 countries to find solutions to some of today’s toughest challenges and create more sustainable ways to live.

We are here for people at every step, helping to create, improve and prolong life. We deliver personalized treatments for serious diseases and enable people to achieve their dream of becoming parents. We empower the scientific community. Our tools, services and digital platform make research simpler, more exact, and help to deliver breakthroughs more quickly. Our solutions accelerate access to health by assuring tests are accurate and the medicine we take can be trusted. We are the company behind the companies, advancing digital living. Our science sits inside technologies that are changing the way we access, store, process, and display information. Our innovations are unlocking the power and potential of data to open new possibilities to transform life on Earth as we know it.

Thanks to the constant curiosity of our employees, we are making discoveries that can change the landscape of entire industries. For more than 350 years, we’ve been pushing the boundaries of what’s possible, and we’ll continue to do so in the years to come.

For more info, visit: https://www.merckgroup.com/en/worldwide/merck-in-philippines.html

How Trees Secretly Talk to Each Other (BBC News)

Trees talk and share resources right under our feet, using a fungal network nicknamed the Wood Wide Web. Some plants use the system to support their offspring, while others hijack it to sabotage their rivals.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWOqeyPIVRo 

Contact FEED

Join us in helping reverse the Earth’s “hothouse climate” tipping point. Plant plant plant.

Tree-Planting with FEED

Contact us at FEED for more details, to join our regular activities or to design your own tree-nurturing event: info@feed.org.ph or call/text +63 (0)917 552 4722.

View original video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPC29Rwr6Pg

© Fostering Education & Environment for Development, Inc.