CIMB Bank Philippines recently concluded a mangrove reforestation initiative with the Communities Organized for Resource Allocation (CORA), a non-profit organization dedicated to creating sustainable programs to help solve global issues such as climate change.
The Bank donated mangrove seedlings to a community in need of support with environmental conservation efforts and to address the critical issue of coastal ecosystem degradation. The seedlings will be given to the WoMangrove Warriors in Leyte, a group of women who make their livelihood planting mangroves in coastal villages down south.
In the weeks leading up to the turnover ceremony, CIMB Bank PH employees participated in fun and easy activities to ‘earn’ a seedling, which were then donated by the Bank to CORA on their behalf. The ceremony marked the successful conclusion of the month-long mangrove seedling drive at the CIMB office in Taguig where CORA also gave a short talk on sustainability.
“Our road to sustainability is paved by these small actions that will make a big impact in the communities that we serve,” said CIMB Bank PH Chief Marketing Officer D’Artagnan Aguilar. “Because of our digital-only banking model, CIMB naturally has a light carbon footprint, but our efforts towards preserving the environment does not stop there. With our country being situated in the Pacific Ring of Fire and prone to being battered by typhoons, we know how important it is to do our part to mitigate the risks. We commit to making a bigger contribution towards preserving the environment and getting more actively involved in similar causes.”
“Mangroves are vital ecosystems that provide numerous ecological, social, and economic benefits not only to humans but to all of creation,” shared CORA Founder and Executive Director Antoinette Taus. “They act as natural barriers against coastal erosion, protect coastal communities from storm surges, and support a diverse array of wildlife. We at CORA are thankful to have found a new partner in CIMB Bank PH in making sure that we have enough mangroves in our coastal towns.”
CIMB Bank PH’s principal in Malaysia, the CIMB Group, considers as a key focus promoting sustainability practices in its operations and processes across entities. They set various milestones and commit to initiate tangible steps for addressing sustainability challenges facing the business as well as their stakeholders. They also encourage their employees across the ASEAN to champion definitive action to mitigate negative impacts and create positive change in the places where they operate.
