19 November 2025, Laguna Quezon Land Grant, Siniloan, Laguna – Sierra Madre Mountain Range.  The National Reinsurance Corporation of the Philippines, known as Nat Re, today sponsored the planting of another 500 native Philippine forest trees at FEED’s longest Living Legacy partner site, the over 9,000 hectare protected UP Laguna Quezon Land Grant, in Siniloan, Laguna – the foothill of the start of the longest mountain range in the Philippines, the Sierra Madres. These seedlings included: 80 Banilad, 20 Bani, 50 Malaruhat, 50 Igang and 300 Kamagong.

Nat Re has joined FEED for at least 8 distinct planting events from 2019 to date (2025).

• 2019 — Nat Re employees planted ~370 native trees (Laguna). nat-re.com
• 2021 — Nat Re/FEED activity reported (Nat Re’s report notes an additional 500 trees planted in partnership with FEED).  nat-re.com
• Nov 25, 2022 — Nat Re “seeds Sierra Madre anew” (FEED/UP LQLG activity; Nat Re participants included employees who had planted with FEED before).
  nat-re.com
• Aug 18, 2023 — “Planting Seeds Towards a Sustainable Future” — 600 native seedlings planted (UP LQLG / Sierra Madre).
• Nov 13, 2023 — FEED planted 250 native trees on behalf of Nat Re (UP LQLG).
• May 10, 2024 — Mangrove/coastal planting with Nat Re volunteers (San Juan, La Union).  nat-re.com
• Jul 31, 2024 — Nat Re + FEED added 400 native trees in Sierra Madre (follow-up to coastal planting).  nat-re.com
• Mar 24, 2025 — 2,000 native trees planted on behalf of Nat Re in the Sierra Madre.

Thank you Nat Re for always supporting the restoration and reforestation of the Philippines!

Why We Must Reforest the Sierra Madre and Restore Our Lost Forests Now

In the heart of the Philippines stands a mountain range that has protected us for centuries — a living fortress of roots and stone, catching the fury of storms long before they reach our homes.

This is the Sierra Madre — our last great natural shield.  Every time a typhoon rises from the Pacific and charges toward our shores, it is the Sierra Madre that meets it first. It is the forest that absorbs the blow. It is the trees that break the wind, hold the soil, and keep whole communities from being buried in flood and mud. But like every shield, it weakens when it is chipped away.

Today, more than 90% of the Philippines’ original forests are gone. What we have left — in the Sierra Madre, in our watersheds, in our coasts — is precious, fragile, and irreplaceable.

Planting trees in the Sierra Madre and across the Philippines is not just an environmental gesture — it is a strategic survival need for the country. Because of its geography, biodiversity, climate risks, and social realities, restoring forest cover is one of the most powerful actions the Philippines can take for both people and planet.

Why the Sierra Madre Mountain Range is critically important:

1. The Sierra Madre is the Philippines’ Last Great Natural Shield – The “Backbone of Luzon” protects millions of lives.

• The Sierra Madre mountain range absorbs and weakens typhoons before they reach Metro Manila and Central Luzon. Without its forested slopes, storms hit lowland communities with full, catastrophic force. Forests act as windbreaks, reducing wind speed.
• Tree roots hold soil, preventing deadly landslides.
• Upland forests regulate river systems, preventing flash floods downstream (Cagayan, Isabela, Bulacan, Rizal, NCR).
• Reforesting the Sierra Madre literally strengthens the natural shield that protects Luzon’s densest population centers.

2. The Philippines Has One of the Highest Biodiversity Levels on Earth — and One of the Highest Rates of Loss

• The Philippines is one of 17 megadiverse nations. It has over 52,000 species, many found nowhere else. But over 90% of original primary forests have been lost due to logging, agriculture, mining, and urbanization.
• This means every remaining forest — especially the Sierra Madre — is a refuge for species that could disappear forever.
• Planting native trees restores: Habitat for endangered species; Migration corridors; Gene pools essential for future climate adaptation; Balance in ecosystems that regulate water, soil, and pollinators.
• Restoring natural forests is equivalent to preserving the biological soul of the Philippines.

3. With the 5th Longest Coastline in the World, Filipinos Depend on Both Upland and Coastal Forests

• The Philippines’ coastline is longer than that of many larger countries, and this creates both beauty and vulnerability.
• Coastal forests & mangroves:
  – Protect communities from storm surges
  – Reduce coastal erosion
  – Support fish nurseries, essential to fisheries that feed the nation
  – Sequester carbon up to 4–5× faster than terrestrial trees
• Upland forests (like the Sierra Madre):
  – Regulate water flow to coastal areas
  – Prevent sedimentation that smothers mangroves, coral reefs, and fisheries
  – Maintain aquifers that supply drinking water to coastal cities
• Reforesting uplands is deeply connected to protecting coasts — the systems are interdependent.

4. Climate Change Hits the Philippines First and Hardest

• The Philippines is:
  – Top 3 globally in climate risk vulnerability
  – Struck by 20+ typhoons annually
  – Experiencing hotter, longer dry seasons and more severe rainfall cycles
• Trees help stabilize climate by:
  – Cooling local temperatures
  – Increasing rainfall predictability
  – Storing carbon
  – Creating microclimates that support agriculture
• The Sierra Madre forests are a key part of the Philippines’ climate adaptation strategy.

5. Forests Keep Rivers Alive — and the Philippines Runs on Watersheds

• The Sierra Madre feeds major rivers such as: Cagayan River, Kaliwa River and Angat Watershed (critical for Metro Manila’s water supply).
• Trees:
  – Increase water infiltration
  – Reduce siltation in dams
  – Recharge aquifers
  – Ensure stable, long-term water supply
• Without forests, rivers die — and so do the cities and farms that depend on them.

6. Forests Support Rural Livelihoods and Indigenous Communities

• Reforestation:
  – Provides employment
  – Strengthens local stewardship of forests
  – Revitalizes Indigenous cultural landscapes
  – Supports ecotourism and sustainable resource use
  – Healthy forests uplift communities who act as guardians of the land.

7. Restoring Lost Forest Cover = Rebuilding the Earth’s Life-Support System

• The Philippines has lost over 9 million hectares of forests in the last century, with many areas becoming dangerously degraded.
• Restoring these forests:
  – Prevents desertification
  – Rebuilds soil health
  – Revives pollinators
  – Reconnects fragmented habitats
  – Restores the natural cycle of carbon, water, and life
• It is essential for the country’s ecological and economic future.

⭐ In summary: Why is planting in the Sierra Madre and the Philippines so important?

Because trees in these landscapes:

• Save lives
• Protect cities
• Preserve biodiversity
• Secure food and water
• Limit climate disasters
• Strengthen coastlines
• Rebuild ecosystems
• Support Indigenous and rural livelihoods

Planting trees in the Sierra Madre — and across our archipelago — is an investment in the long-term survival and resilience of the Philippines.

Tree-Nurturing Program with FEED

Immerse yourself in nature and explore our Tree-Nurturing Program in Siniloan, Laguna, nestled within the Sierra Madre Mountain Ranges. Witness the untouched beauty of Mother Nature—watch this video for a glimpse of the experience.

Contact info@feed.org.ph or call +63 (0)917 552 4722 to carry out your tree planting today!

(c) Fostering Education and Environment for Development, Inc.