Megaworld Corporation (PSE: MEG), one of the Philippines’ biggest property developers, has announced a major expansion of its environmental efforts. According to a disclosure filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 22, 2026, the company is set to triple the size of its carbon forests in just three years.
What is a Carbon Forest?
Think of a carbon forest like a giant air cleaner for our planet. Trees absorb carbon dioxide (CO2), which is one of the gases that makes our Earth warmer. By planting lots of trees, Megaworld is helping clean the air and fight climate change.
How Big is the Expansion?
Megaworld started 2023 with only 240 hectares of carbon forest. By 2026, this will grow to about 1,500 hectares. That’s more than six times bigger! To put this in perspective, 1,500 hectares is roughly the size of 2,100 soccer fields put together.
This forest area represents about one-fifth (or 20%) of all the land that Megaworld currently owns across the Philippines.
How Many Trees Have Been Planted?
So far, Megaworld has planted more than 550,000 trees in different parts of the country. These trees are working hard to capture about 40,000 tons of carbon dioxide from the air. Imagine 40,000 tons as the weight of about 8,000 elephants – that’s how much harmful gas these trees are removing from our atmosphere!
Where Are These Forests Located?
Megaworld’s carbon forests are spread across many Philippine provinces:
- In Luzon: Quezon City, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Bulacan, Cavite, Rizal, Batangas, and Palawan
- In Visayas: Cebu, Iloilo, Aklan, and Bacolod
What is Project Tree Point Five Million?
This tree-planting effort is part of a bigger program called “Project Tree Point Five Million.” The goal is to plant 3.5 million native and endemic trees (trees that naturally grow in the Philippines) in Megaworld’s townships and partner communities across the country.
According to Jose Arnulfo Batac, Megaworld’s head of sustainability, the reforestation program works in three important ways:
- Cleaning the air: Trees capture and store greenhouse gases that make our planet warmer
- Protecting animals: The forests help rebuild homes for local wildlife
- Helping communities earn money: Some trees like cacao (used to make chocolate) can be harvested, giving local communities a way to earn income
Who Is Helping Megaworld?
Megaworld isn’t doing this alone. The company is working with several partners, including the Philippine Army and local community groups, to plant and take care of these forests.
Other Environmental Achievements
Beyond tree planting, Megaworld has also switched all its company-owned offices, malls, and hotels to use 100% renewable energy (energy from sources like solar and wind that don’t run out). This helped the company achieve carbon neutrality – meaning they’re not adding more carbon to the atmosphere – 10 years earlier than planned.
The company aims to reach “carbon net zero” by 2050, which means they’ll remove as much carbon from the air as they produce.
Awards and Recognition
In 2025, Megaworld’s Project Tree Point Five Million won the “Biodiversity Conservation Award” at the ESG Business Awards held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The company also received awards for its waste management, renewable energy use, and smart city development.
About Megaworld’s Sustainability Program
All these environmental efforts are part of MEGreen, Megaworld’s long-term sustainability program that brings together all the company’s environmental projects. The program follows the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), which are global targets to make the world a better place.
About Megaworld Corporation
Megaworld Corporation is a major real estate developer in the Philippines, known for building large mixed-use townships that combine residential buildings, offices, malls, and hotels. The company is publicly listed on the Philippine Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol MEG. As of the filing date, Megaworld has 32.4 billion common shares and 6 billion preferred shares outstanding, with its head office located at the 30th Floor of Alliance Global Tower in Uptown Bonifacio, Taguig City.
Source Note:This article is based on the company’s official press release and disclosures filed with the Philippine Stock Exchange’s Electronic Disclosure Generation Technology (PSE EDGE) system. For the complete and official version of the announcement, readers may visit the PSE EDGE website and search for the company’s filing directly.
