Real estate giant Megaworld is aggressively scaling its environmental footprint, announcing plans to triple its total carbon forest cover in just three years.
The company’s reforestation expanse is projected to grow from 240 hectares at the start of 2023 to approximately 1,500 hectares by the end of this year.
This milestone represents roughly one-fifth of Megaworld’s current landbank and serves as a cornerstone of the company’s strategic decarbonization roadmap. To date, the group has planted over 550,000 trees across the Philippines, sequestering an estimated 40,000 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e).
The expansion is fueled by Project Tree Point Five Million, an ambitious initiative aimed at planting 3.5 million native and endemic trees within Megaworld townships and adopted communities.
“By adopting and caring for forest lands in key areas all over the country, we are taking decisive action to protect the environment and secure a greener future for generations of Filipinos,” says Jose Arnulfo Batac, Head of Sustainability at Megaworld.
The reforestation program is built upon three impact pillars:
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Carbon Capture: Utilizing native species to sequester greenhouse gases.
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Biodiversity: Rebuilding ecosystems to protect native wildlife.
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Livelihood: Planting fruit-bearing trees, such as cacao, to provide sustainable economic opportunities for local partners.
Megaworld’s carbon forests now span across the archipelago, with active sites in:
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Luzon: Quezon City, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Bulacan, Cavite, Rizal, Batangas, and Palawan.
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Visayas: Cebu, Iloilo, Aklan, and Bacolod.
These efforts are supported by a network of strategic partners, including the Philippine Army and various local community organizations.
The reforestation surge complements Megaworld’s broader MEGreen program, which aligns the company’s environmental efforts with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs).
Notably, Megaworld has already transitioned to 100% renewable energy for its company-owned malls, offices, and hotels. This shift allowed the company to achieve carbon neutrality for Scopes 1 and 2 within its commercial portfolio a full decade ahead of schedule, marking a significant stride toward its 2050 Net Zero goal.
In 2025, Project Tree Point Five Million was honored with the Biodiversity Conservation Award at the ESG Business Awards in Kuala Lumpur. Other recognized Megaworld initiatives included:
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Goal Zero Waste Program (Waste Management Award)
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Renewable Energy Shift (Renewable Energy Adoption Award)
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Iloilo Business Park (Smart City Award)
Through these integrated programs, Megaworld continues to redefine the Philippine real estate landscape, proving that massive urban development and environmental stewardship can thrive in tandem.
