Cover GreenEarth Heritage Foundation’s reforestation at the foothills of the Sierra Madre Mountains (Photo: GreenEarth Archives)
GreenEarth Heritage Foundation’s reforestation at the foothills of the Sierra Madre Mountains (Photo: GreenEarth Archives)
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GreenEarth’s reforestation success revitalised a barren land, positively impacting the local community and inspiring hope for a more sustainable, greener future
GreenEarth founder Dr Mylene Matti often reflects with gratitude on the once-barren land she has led stewardship of for the past 17 years. The place has been transformed into an Eden, with 300,000 trees planted and counting. It has also grown into a thriving ecosystem: a flourishing organic farming enterprise producing three internationally certified-organic flagship products; a workplace that has provided jobs for more than 200 beneficiaries; and a learning hub offering literacy programmes in English, computer skills and Bible-based values for rural children and youth. Students who show perseverance are supported through college until they secure their first job. Many have gone on to become professionals, including one who graduated from Harvard University.
Looking ahead, the foundation hopes to build a state-of-the-art LEED-certified library nestled within a forest landscape—Aklatan sa Kagubatan (Library in the Forest). After more than 15 years of helping underperforming public school students overcome learning gaps, Aklatan will be GreenEarth’s contribution to addressing the Philippines’ troubling global rankings in reading, comprehension, mathematics and science.
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Above Dried moringa leaves being prepared at GreenEarth to meet certified organic standards
Dried moringa leaves being prepared at GreenEarth to meet certified organic standards
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Who would have thought that this once barren land in San Miguel, Bulacan at the foothills of the Sierra Madre would flourish into a paradise?
“The land was lifeless then,” recalls Dr Matti, who has served as GreenEarth’s executive director pro bono since day one. “The main livelihood was cutting down trees to sell as charcoal, easier than farming without infrastructure.” It was geographically close to Metro Manila but for many years was isolated by difficult access such as kilometres of dirt roads and a river without a bridge. Only in 2020, after more than a decade of appeals, were a bridge and paved roads finally built.
The surrounding community of about 139 families were living in poverty, most surviving at subsistence level. The majority had only elementary education; nearly half the population was under 20. When GreenEarth first arrived in 2009, the team even witnessed people brushing their teeth with leaves and a family of five sharing one toothbrush.
How Dr Matti even found herself here is an interesting journey that began across the Pacific Ocean.
After graduating from the University of the Philippines College of Medicine and passing the board, she immediately took the US boards and pursued postgraduate training in anaesthesiology in the United States. Following a fellowship at Stanford, she began private practice in Berkeley, California.
“We used to call Berkeley ‘Bezerkely’ because the people there were quite berserk about their passions.” The city is known for its intellectual energy and activist spirit; has long been associated with environmental movements, alternative lifestyles and progressive thinking; hosts more than 25 libraries despite its modest size; has a vibrant culture of public discourse. The natural and organic food movement was also deeply rooted there.
“One cannot live in Berkeley for years without being influenced by the natural and organic movement,” Dr Matti recalls. Becoming an enthusiastic supporter, she joined farm tours and learnt about land trust organisations.
Above Harvesting only the healthiest and most nutrient-rich moringa leaves at GreenEarth
Harvesting only the healthiest and most nutrient-rich moringa leaves at GreenEarth
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A turning point came when she read a United Nations development report noting that farmers and fishermen remain among the poorest sector worldwide including the Philippines. “I began looking into the demographics of Philippine farming,” she says. “I discovered that the median educational attainment of Filipino farmers was only Grade 5 and that 30 to 40 per cent of their children do not even complete elementary school.”
Matti’s life was disrupted. Ever since their first paycheck, she and her husband James have been setting aside a portion to support children’s causes. But now, she told her husband, “I’m starting to believe that we should focus on helping our poorest farmers. If we uplift them, their children will benefit too. ”
Another discovery strengthened her resolve. The Philippines consistently ranks in the top ten among countries most vulnerable to climate risk. Typhoons, floods, landslides regularly devastate Filipino communities. In 2024, the Philippines ranked 7th in the Climate Risk Index.
“The root cause we can help address is denudation, the loss of trees,” she says, recalling an old adage that goes: “The best time to plant trees is 20 years ago, but the next best time is now.”
Dr Matti’s first impulse was to buy a piece of land, maybe one hectare, plant trees and help one farmer and his family. Her frequent trips back home, made even more frequent when James was relocated by his American company to Manila, were spent searching for that piece of land south of Manila.
The land was lifeless then... People were cutting down trees for charcoal and firewood, an easier means of livelihood
Her father listened closely to her research and aspirations. Then he revealed something unexpected. Decades earlier, he and several investment banker colleagues purchased land in San Miguel, Bulacan. Local landowners had been eager to sell because farming there proved extremely difficult: the terrain was sloping and rocky, water was scarce, there were no farm-to-market roads. Farmers often lost crops during dry seasons; when the river flooded, they could not transport produce to market.
Curious, Dr Matti visited the property with him. During the long drive back to Manila, her father, then already in his seventies, spoke thoughtfully. “Perhaps the Lord has a special reason for leading me to buy this land decades ago.” He then made an extraordinary proposal: to donate 107 hectares of his property to restore forests, create sustainable livelihoods in organic agriculture and support the education of children.
He asked his daughter to establish a foundation that would own and manage the land in perpetuity. “Donating land directly to individuals without resources or education will not succeed,” he said. “But a foundation with good governance can mobilise support. Would you be willing to serve it pro bono?”
Her father even had a name already: GreenEarth Heritage Foundation.
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Above Turning a once denuded land into a green and safe environment for children through GreenEarth
Turning a once denuded land into a green and safe environment for children through GreenEarth
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A vision, a mission
Founded on May 22, 2009, the holistic Christian organisation primarily focuses on restoring over 100 hectares of land heavily denuded by deforestation. Its four-pronged mission is reforestation, sustainable livelihoods through organic agriculture, education and spiritual transformation. Its vision is to create a model eco-farming community for impoverished farming families.
Dr Matti was entrusted with 107 hectares but initially worked on only 32, comprising Phase 1. Today, the area has been reforested. It produces three organic products: moringa tea, moringa powder and gluten-free Uly cookies made with organic green banana flour, invented when a thousand banana trees were felled by Typhoon Ulysses, hence the name.
According to their website: “When you buy from GreenEarth, every dollar...goes towards the welfare of our farming families. We build homes, run an English and Computer Literacy Programme, a Feeding Programme, Scholarship Assistance Programme, and continue reforestation and environmental restoration...”
Because of its diverse activities, GreenEarth provides employment to local residents. The support it offers to marginalised sectors is impressive, transforming the lives of many including former rebels, informal settlers and charcoal makers. However, what truly warms Matti’s heart is the story of one of their scholars.
Above Teacher Limuel Hernandez leads GreenEarth’s computer literacy classes
Teacher Limuel Hernandez leads GreenEarth’s computer literacy classes
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The road to Harvard
Once upon a time, there was a young boy named Romnick Blanco, the seventh of nine sons. In 2011, at age 12, he became a GreenEarth scholar. This meant that every Saturday, he would trek from his home two hours away from GreenEarth, crossing bridgeless rivers and sloping terrain, just to attend classes.
He received a monthly subsidy to help with school costs, had access to free English and computer literacy classes at the foundation’s Learning Center, learnt Bible-based values and received encouragement from GreenEarth mentors. He quickly became the top English student among the children of farmers.
Above Romnick Blanco during his graduation at Harvard
Romnick Blanco during his graduation at Harvard
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Recognising his potential, GreenEarth supported Blanco to compete for a five-year scholarship at the International School Manila (ISM). He was accepted and graduated in 2017. His excellent performance at ISM earned him a full-ride scholarship to Harvard University, one of the world’s most prestigious institutions. He graduated as part of Harvard’s Class of 2023 with a degree in History and Government.
“When they called his name on stage”, Dr Matti recalls, “the entire journey of GreenEarth flashed before my eyes; our story was here, represented, within the storied grounds of one of the world’s most prestigious universities.”
Today, the foundation’s four-pronged mission continues with utmost fervour yet, much work still lies ahead. Seventy-five hectares remain to be reforested. And then there is still the dream of Aklatan sa Kagubatan.
For GreenEarth, the vision has always been about way more than restoring land. It is about restoring opportunity, dignity and hope.
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Images: GreenEarth Archives
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A journalist of more than 30 years, Chit has had varied exposures in this field, both in hard news as well as in soft news, and brings everything she has learnt to the production of the magazine. When not writing or editing, Chit is deeply involved in her chosen service organisation, Rotary International.
