#CulturePH - How a Day at La Mesa Watershed Reminds Us That Small Acts Can Still Change the World
There’s something grounding about being surrounded by trees—the quiet, the earthy scent, the feeling that life grows steadily even when we’re too busy to notice. That’s exactly the kind of reset Coca‑Cola Philippines employees walked into when they spent a day at La Mesa Watershed last December, joining the Million Trees Foundation for a reforestation activity that was more than just a corporate event. It felt like a reminder of how connected we all are to the spaces that keep Metro Manila alive.
La Mesa isn’t just another green spot on the map. It’s the city’s primary watershed and one of the last thriving forest reserves in the region—a lifeline that quietly supports millions of people every day. Seeing volunteers in red shirts digging into the soil, planting native seedlings, and learning proper tree‑growing techniques brought a warm sense of hope to a place that needs exactly that. The activity was part of the Annual Million Trees Challenge, an ongoing mission to rehabilitate major watersheds and plant 10 million more trees by 2030.
Leadership from both Coca‑Cola Philippines and the Million Trees Foundation were also present, underscoring how meaningful collaboration can be when companies show up ready to get their hands dirty—literally. As the foundation’s president Melandrew Velasco shared during the orientation, every seedling planted is its own commitment to a healthier ecosystem for future generations. It’s the kind of message that sticks with you long after the mud has dried on your shoes.
For many of the employee‑volunteers, the day felt less like an obligation and more like a reset button. Maria Christine Garcia, who leads Public Affairs, Communications and Sustainability at Coca‑Cola Philippines, said it perfectly: sustainability becomes real when people step up and act together. And that’s exactly what happened. Strangers became teammates, and a simple morning of planting turned into a collective promise to protect something bigger than any one person.
Coca‑Cola Philippines President Tony del Rosario echoed this, emphasizing how volunteerism strengthens the company’s broader sustainability goals. It’s easy to talk about environmental stewardship, but it’s another thing entirely to kneel on forest soil and take part in it. Efforts like this one highlight how companies can help protect essential resources—not through grand gestures, but through consistent, community‑rooted action.
Days like this serve as a reminder that changing the world doesn’t always mean doing something huge. Sometimes, it’s a single seedling placed into the earth, one quiet moment of intention at a time. And when done together, these moments grow into something strong enough to reshape an entire watershed—and maybe even the way we think about our role in protecting the planet.
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