DENR Recognizes Vitarich for Partnership in Water Body Rehabilitation
DENR-EMB Region 3 cites Vitarich Corporation for its continuous commitment to water body rehabilitation.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources – Environmental Management Bureau Region III (DENR-EMB Region III) has recognized Vitarich Corporation for its participation in the government’s Adopt-an-Estero/Water Body Program. The agribusiness company shared the news in an SEC Form 17-C filing dated June 15, 2026, following a recognition ceremony in Clark, Pampanga.
Adopt-an-Estero/Water Body Program is an undertaking between and among the Estero Community, Donor-Partner, Local Government Unit/s, other government agencies, and the DENR. The program’s objectives are to a) clean the esteros of wastes, debris, and silt starting in 2010 until all have been cleaned up, and to b) empower local communities to clean esteros and plan for long-term sustainability.
Lilibeth Carao, the corporation’s assistant vice president for Legal, Labor, and Compliance, accepted the award on behalf of Stephanie Nicole Sarmiento Garcia, VITA’s chief sustainability officer.
“VITA recognizes the climate-related challenges we face in our communities and has been implementing mitigation measures for years,” said Carao.
The private sector plays a critical role in environmental protection, said Julius Degala, provincial environment and natural resources officer of Bulacan. He called for continued collaboration among government, communities, and businesses in safeguarding the country’s natural resources.
Vitarich began its participation in the program in 2013 through its adoption of the Sapang Alat Creek (Patubig Creek) in Marilao, Bulacan.
The corporation also started its bamboo planting along the creek in 2024 in partnership with Bulacan State University (BulSU) – Meneses Campus.
Vitarich’s Sagip Kalikasan Project Targets Creek Rehabilitation in Marilao, Bulacan
In 2025, Vitarich launched the Sagip Kalikasan Project, an initiative aimed at rehabilitating the biodiversity and ecological health of Sapang Alat Creek through bamboo planting activities, regular creek clean-ups, dredging efforts, and community education programs.
The activities under the project are in partnership with BulSU-Meneses, the Municipality of Marilao, and the barangays surrounding the waterway.
To date, Vitarich and its partners have established an estimated 100 meters of bamboo plantation along Sapang Alat Creek, engaged more than 100 learners from three of the five adjacent barangays through environmental education initiatives, and supported three bamboo planting activities aimed at improving water quality, strengthening riverbank stability, and restoring local biodiversity.
The project has also established baseline soil and water quality research, in collaboration with BulSU, to support long-term monitoring and guide future rehabilitation efforts.
Frequently Asked Questions
A multi-stakeholder initiative where private companies, local government units, and communities collaborate to clean, rehabilitate, and sustain the ecological health of Philippine waterways.
For its sustained participation in the Adopt-an-Estero program since 2013 and for launching the Sagip Kalikasan Project, an integrated rehabilitation initiative along Sapang Alat Creek in Marilao, Bulacan.
A 2025 creek rehabilitation initiative covering bamboo planting, dredging, clean-ups, and community education along Sapang Alat Creek, in partnership with BulSU-Meneses and the Municipality of Marilao.
Approximately 100 meters of bamboo plantation established, over 100 learners engaged across three barangays, and baseline soil and water quality research initiated with Bulacan State University.
Since 2013, when it adopted Sapang Alat Creek (Patubig Creek) in Marilao, Bulacan, under the DENR Adopt-an-Estero program, over a decade of continuous environmental stewardship.
