PH Eyes Fast-Track Access to Multi-Billion Global Tropical Forest Fundb

The Philippines is positioning itself to be among the first nations to access performance-based climate financing under the newly established Tropical Forests Forever Facility (TFFF), seeking to leverage performance-based financing to scale up national forest restoration and strengthen climate resilience, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) announced during New York Climate Week.

Atty. Analiza Rebuelta-Teh, DENR Undersecretary for Finance, Information Systems, Climate Change, and Administration, highlighted the country’s readiness to join the TFFF Fast Track Programme, an initiative led by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), and the Global Alliance of Territorial Communities (GATC), which seeks to assist frontrunner tropical forest countries in accessing long-term, results-based financing.

Detailing the country's environmental reality, Undersecretary Teh noted that between 2001 and 2022, the Philippines lost 1.42 million hectares of tree cover due to land conversion, urbanization, and climate pressures. At the same time, sustained national action has helped reverse trends, with forest cover increasing by about 6 percent from 6.8 million hectares in 2010 to 7.22 million hectares in 2022.

Through the Enhanced National Greening Program and Community-Based Forest Management initiatives, the government continues to restore degraded watersheds and protect vital ecosystems. However, Undersecretary Teh emphasized that local ambition alone cannot bridge global financial realities.

Citing UNEP’s State of Finance for Forests report, Undersecretary Teh pointed out that annual global forest investment must surge from $84 billion to $300 billion by 2030, leaving a $216 billion annual gap. Officially launched at COP30 in Belém, Brazil, the TFFF addresses this shortfall by offering predictable payments of up to $4 per hectare for standing tropical forests, targeting a $10-billion capitalization goal by late 2026 with over $7.3 billion already mobilized.

"For the Philippines, TFFF is not just a payment mechanism—it is a restoration engine," Undersecretary Teh said during her intervention. She explained that the facility’s flexible use of proceeds would allow the Philippines to reinvest standing forest revenues into scaling up national restoration programs.

Undersecretary Teh explained that TFFF explicitly excludes monoculture plantations, ensuring payments reward high-integrity natural ecosystems while applying performance discounts for deforestation and fire degradation. With severe monsoons and floods impacting 1.3 million Filipinos just last month, Undersecretary Teh emphasized that healthy forests serve as a front-line defense against climate disasters.

Undersecretary Teh further highlighted the importance of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities in sustaining forest landscapes, noting that the Philippines plans to allocate at least 20 percent of TFFF payments directly to Indigenous Peoples and local communities. 

"As the true stewards of our lands, local communities must hold direct governance and financial resources to sustain forest landscapes," Undersecretary Teh added.

The initiative aligns with the country's updated 2026 Nationally Determined Contribution—which raises its unconditional emissions reduction target to 7 percent, driven by the Forestry and Land Use sector—and advances the national Voluntary Forest Carbon Market Roadmap. Reaffirming the country's commitment, Undersecretary Teh declared that the Philippines stands ready as a frontrunner to establish proof of concept and show how results-based finance can transform forest landscapes.

Vena Energy Delivers Second Community Fund Turnover to Quezon Indigenous Peoples

[Philippines, 15 May 2026] Quezon Wind Energy Corp. (QWEC), a subsidiary of Vena Energy, a leading green energy solutions provider across the Asia-Pacific region, marked another key milestone in its community relations efforts through a check turnover ceremony today in Quezon City for its host community, the Dumagat/Remontado Indigenous Peoples (IPs) of General Nakar, Quezon.  

The event demonstrated Vena Energy’s continuous efforts in supporting its host communities beyond respecting their rights and heritage. The turnover formalizes the Quezon IPs’ receipt of their community funds under the Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) process, through the Pigtaanan ne Dumagat – Remontado de General Nakar, Quezon (PDRGNQ), the Implementing IP Organization.

This partnership reflects Vena Energy’s support for community-led development initiatives based on the priorities identified by the host IPs. These include infrastructure improvements, access to education, sustainable livelihood programs, and improved healthcare.

Vena Energy representatives led by Mia Jarumayan, Head of Business Development, Project Development, attended the event alongside Quezon IP leaders and elders. Samrinder Nehria, Head of Vena Energy in the Philippines, stated, “Empowering the Quezon IPs is at the heart of our mission. We are dedicated to ensuring that our green energy initiatives translate into tangible, long-term benefits for the communities that graciously host us, fostering a future built on mutual respect and sustainable progress.”

A Sustainable Partnership

Such partnerships have proven to be a successful model for private-public collaborations in the renewable energy sector. As Vena Energy strictly adheres to the FPIC process, all of the company’s projects continue to be built based on transparent communication and mutual respect. “Ang matatag na suporta mula sa Vena Energy ay nagbibigay ng lakas ng loob sa aming komunidad na isulong ang makabuluhang pag-unlad habang pinapangalagaan ang aning pamanang kultural. ” shared Melecio Rotaquio, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Pigtaanan ne Dumagat Remontado de General Nakar Quezon (PDRGNQ), Inc.

National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) Region 4A Regional Director Dr. Carlos Buasen, Jr. added, “It is inspiring to witness a corporate partner truly value the ancestral domains and the people who protect them. Vena Energy sets a remarkable standard for responsible and inclusive community engagement.”

This second check turnover ceremony, following the 21 April ceremony with the Tanay Dumagat Remontado Indigenous Cultural Communities, is a further demonstration of Vena Energy’s commitment to its partnerships with indigenous communities across Quezon, grounded in shared growth and mutual respect. By integrating community-led development into its core operations, Vena Energy reinforces its dedication to honoring ancestral domain rights and supporting self-determination. This reflects how renewable energy can contribute not only to the national grid, but to the long-term aspirations of the Filipino people.