One of the tenets of the Johnson & Johnson credo is to be responsible to the communities in which we live and work and the world community as well.

Forty-five employees of Johnson & Johnson Philippines recently created germinant pots and planted 350 seedlings of Cupang trees at the La Mesa Watershed – an employee engagement activity in partnership with ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya Foundation, Inc.’s Bantay Kalikasan.

Homer Nuqui, J&J’s Asia Pacific GS Finance Director explained the partnership with the foundation. “Johnson & Johnson is involved with a lot of corporate social responsibility activities and one of the advocacies we have is for the environment.”

“We have been partners with ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya Foundation for so many years. We believe in what the foundation is doing to help preserve this watershed not only for us but for the future environment as well. That is why this is our little way of saying we care for our environment, we care for our generation, and we care for the coming generations as well,” he added.

Potting of soil: The first step in nursery/germination activity. Nuqui lines up his finished pots of soil while other employees prepare theirs.

Rezel Aquino, SEA Marketing Director for Johnson’s Baby commended ALKFI for its dedication in protecting the environment. “I would like to commend the people from ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya. Sobra talaga silang maalam. Experts talaga sila sa kanilang field and obviously it takes a lot of dedication and hard work to do what they do.”(They are experts on this field and obviously, it takes a lot of dedication and hard work to do what they do.)

The employee engagement activity also became an avenue for young ones to show their love for the environment. The children of Aquino, took part in the activity as part of celebrating their brother’s birthday.

“Our mom said that for all our birthdays, we should start helping the environment rather than making our birthdays all about ourselves. I think it’s a good lesson for us,” Bianca, 14, shared.

Francesca, 10, the younger sibling enthused, “I felt really good! I helped the environment and I was able to plant some trees.”

Susit Rabo, the Project Supervisor of La Mesa Watershed explained the importance of the employee engagement activity of the company. “It’s a big help for the project kasi unang-una for the donation na binibigay nila and nakaka share tayo ng information with them in saving the environment. In terms of the nursery activity, they were able to contribute to the efforts to save the La Mesa Watershed.” (With their donations, and conducting nursery activity, they were able to contribute to the efforts to save the La Mesa Watershed. We were also able to share information with them on how all of us can save the environment.)

The La Mesa Project started in 1999. The germination or nursery management is the start to produce new seedlings which will be planted along the La Mesa Watershed’s forest that will soon become trees. Cupang trees are endemic and one of its fastest growing species.

The La Mesa Watershed is the source of water of the 12 million residents of Metro Manila. To join Bantay Kalikasan’s activities, visit www.abs-cbnfoundation.com or ALKFI’s facebook page at www.facebook.com/abscbnfoundationkapamilya.