How the Philippines is using fintech to restore forests and empower local communities

Since 1900, the Philippines has lost two-thirds of its forests, shrinking its coverage from 21 million hectares to just seven million. Despite a government ban on logging, the Philippines loses 52,000 trees daily from logging, land development, and agricultural activities. This leads to increased soil erosion, flooding, river siltation, storm surges, and droughts.

In 2019, the United Nations Development Programme’s Biodiversity Finance Initiative (BIOFIN) contributed to the creation of GForest, an environmental feature of GCash, the Philippines’ largest mobile wallet.

GForest is a feature within the GCash app that allows users to plant real trees by performing simple, eco-friendly actions, such as paying bills online, walking instead of driving, or avoiding single-use plastics.

BIOFIN connected GCash with WWF-Philippines to launch their first tree-planting project in the Ipo Watershed, which supplies water to most of Metro Manila.

How Does GForest Work?

When GCash users log in, they can choose to plant virtual trees—this generates funding for real trees to be planted across the country.

To plant a tree, users must earn green energy points by using GCash’s cashless services, such as sending money, paying bills online, or transferring funds through the app. These digital transactions help reduce their carbon footprint by eliminating the need to drive to a bank or use paper receipts.

Additionally, GForest users can collect green energy points by walking or biking if they allow GCash to access their health or fitness apps. Once enough points are collected, users can select a tree to plant in GForest. GCash and its partners then plant that exact tree in real life.

GForest, a feature of GCash mobile wallet, has gained more than 23 million users since its launch in 2019.

Big Impact

To date, users have helped plant more than 4 million trees - including a diverse range of mangroves and fruit-bearing trees such as coffee, cacao, and avocado - across 14,300 hectares of land.

Over 23 million users have joined GForest, making it one of the Philippines’ largest science-based environmental movements. GForest's success in rebuilding the forests of the Philippines is not just a number; it's a testament to its science-based planting approach. With a remarkable 90% survival rate, GForest, together with its partners, ensures that the trees are carefully matched to their ideal planting locations and environments, and the seedlings undergo growth in nurseries before deployment. 

GForest has grown from a simple reforestation project into something even bigger. It now supports agroforestry, where farmers plant trees that also provide food or products they can sell. More than 11,300 farmers and their families have earned additional income through tree-planting work.

GForest does more than plant trees — it empowers farmers to care for the land and manage their finances. Photo: GCash

GCash supports local farmers not just by boosting their incomes through tree planting, but by empowering them through farm design, planting workshops, and financial literacy training.

In this way, GForest also supports the government’s Enhanced National Greening Program (ENGP) - a key initiative aimed at reducing poverty by helping communities build social enterprises, while promoting environmental stability and biodiversity conservation.

What’s Next?

GForest continues to grow. With support from BIOFIN and 8 other credible planting partners, reforestation is now more purpose-driven, focusing on three objectives: watershed protection, coastal protection, and sustainable livelihood for local communities.

Used by more than 94 million Filipinos, GCash is no longer just a tool for sending money or paying bills—it is also helping protect the environment.

This digital movement proves that even small actions can make a big difference for the planet.

Learn more and download the app: https://new.gcash.com/services/gforest

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6bPb2ySd3Y