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(L-R) IKEA Philippines country business navigation manager Frida Wallin, GCash group head of new businesses Winsley Bangit, Silliman University Institute of Environmental and Marine Sciences (IEMS) project coordinator and professor emeritus Dr. Hilconida P. Calumpong, IKEA Philippines country retail manager Ricardo Pinheiro, and GCash sustainability head CJ Alegre. |
GCash, the leading financial super app and largest cashless ecosystem in the Philippines, is mounting its first-ever Eco Run on March 23, 2025, along Ayala Avenue, Makati City.
The GCash Eco Run is a fully eco-conscious and sustainability-centered event that brings the GForest digital eco-movement to the streets, to further the positive environmental impact established by Silliman University in the Negros region. Stakeholders, advocacy groups, eco-products merchants, and running enthusiasts will be gathering to showcase sustainable practices in action.
Each successful registration to the GCash Eco Run will enable the planting of one grey mangrove tree in Negros Occidental, a province gravely affected by climate change. To underscore its commitment to climate action and helping local communities.
“GForest is a platform that transforms digital trees into actual plants. With GCash Eco Run, we are expanding the digital eco-movement established by GForest and giving our Green Heroes more opportunities to come together,” says CJ Alegre, head of sustainability for GCash. “It is testament to the powerful community we have created at GCash, that we can go beyond digital platforms and collectively take significant, real-world steps forward to help local communities and protect essential ecosystems in Negros Occidental.”
Scaling the eco-movement, one tree at a time
Growing in coastal areas in Negros Occidental, the grey mangrove (Avicennia marina) plays a vital role in environmental conservation, as it protects shorelines from erosion, mitigates the impacts of extreme weather, and sequesters carbon, all while providing habitats for marine life. Mangrove forests are crucial assets in the fight against climate change and preserving marine biodiversity.
In the Negros Island Region, GCash has a long-running collaboration with Dumaguete-based higher education institution Silliman University (SU), and its Institute of Environmental and Marine Sciences (IEMS), which focuses on mangrove restoration, protecting coastal environments, and providing livelihood opportunities to local farmers and fisherfolk.
The planting of the grey mangrove trees, made possible by GCash Eco Run participants and sponsors, will take place on the site managed by SU and maintained by local communities. This is part of the SU-GCash Reforestation in South Negros Project, whose overall goal to plant a total of 1M across critical areas in the region by 2029.
Sustainability-focused organizations partnering for the environment
GCash makes it easy for companies to create a meaningful environmental impact. By connecting businesses with GForest’s trusted planting partners, GCash enables them to support science-based, proven-effective sustainability programs seamlessly.
IKEA Philippines—the local arm of the global furniture brand headquartered in Sweden, and whose Pasay store holds the record as the largest IKEA store in the world—is supporting the event by pledging 30,000 trees under the South Negros conservation initiative. Sustainability has always been part of IKEA’s commitment to its customers, as it offers home furnishing products, food, services, and solutions that inspire and enable people to lead healthier and more eco-conscious everyday lives.
“IKEA’s sustainability direction goes hand in hand with this activity, [focusing] on three pillars: Healthy and sustainable living, being circular and climate-positive, and being fair and caring. Today, sustainability is neither a choice nor an option. It’s a must, which is why IKEA is deeply focused on this priority,” shares Ricardo Pinheiro, country retail manager of IKEA Philippines.
This partnership with SU-GCash Reforestation underscores IKEA Philippines' central goal to create a positive social impact within communities, as it hopes to inspire other businesses to join the collective effort to make more sustainable choices every day.
“Our partnership with GCash and IKEA is a testament to the power of collective action for sustainability. Through this collaboration, we aim to restore vital ecosystems and engage local communities in long-term conservation efforts,” said Dr. Hilconida P. Calumpong, project coordinator and professor emeritus, Institute of Environmental and Marine Sciences (IEMS), Silliman University.
A fully eco-conscious, sustainability-centered event
The GCash Eco Run has been deliberately designed to promote sustainable practices in every aspect. From adapting sustainable and mindful eco-friendly practices in the event production, to booth structures being built out of recycled and non-single-use plastic materials, all the way to race kits being made out of recycled PET bottles—GCash Eco Run ensures a 100% sustainable, eco-conscious experience for all.
GCash will also introduce its new 100% recycled plastic GCash VISA cards at the sidelines of the Eco Run at a special retail price, kickstarting the initiative with the Filipino running community.
Merchants offering eco-products or eco-friendly advocacies like Bukid ni Bogs, Human Nature, The Eco Shift Store, Wonderhome Naturals, Cut the Craft Clothing and Apparel will also have booths at the event.
The GCash Eco Run will also amplify the efforts of eight advocacy partners. Berdeng Kalabaw, Aling Tindera, and ZOLO are encouraging runners to bring recyclable waste, to be collected for proper waste management. Caritas Manila will be accepting donations of old clothes, WWF Philippines will call for donations for habitat conservation and animal welfare, and Hound Haven will encourage the adoption of retired working dogs to rally behind charity programs.
To promote farm-to-table practices, Commune Café + Bar will showcase locally sourced coffee, from Atok, Benguet, while the Philippine Coffee Board, Inc. will be offering Itogon coffee; Seven Days of Greens will retail organic fruits and vegetables from smallholder farmers.
The GCash Eco Run is supported by IKEA Philippines, Globe Fiber, Pay & Go, eTap Solutions, BPI-MS, GOMO, Standard Insurance, BYD, Century Tuna, ECPay, Gringo, Park Access, Singlife, and ST Telemedia. These sponsors have also pledged to plant trees and support Silliman University’s mangrove conservation efforts. The event is organized by RUNRIO, a leading organizer of race events in the Philippines.
“At GCash, community drives our broader sustainability agenda of harnessing tech and innovation for good,” shares Alegre. “The support of our sponsors is testament to how partnerships built on shared goals can transform commitments into action, and GCash aims to engage more like-minded organizations to scale and grow this eco-movement.”
For more information about the GCash Eco Run and how to register, visit the official event page.
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