Today is International Earth day and at Bluestone, we’re taking action to help reverse the damage caused by forest degradation, deforestation and bushfires – even when it means rolling up our sleeves and getting our hands dirty to create new growth.
If there’s one thing we value, it’s having a home to call your own. Deforestation and forest degradation have a devastating impact on climate change and on the wildlife who live in them. By doing our bit, we can all help give the wildlife back their natural habitat and protect the planet that we call home for future generations.
Last month, in partnership with FEED Philippines, 10 hard-working volunteers from our Manila office had the opportunity to get out into nature, planting over 500 seedlings in one day.
Here’s what a few of our participants had to say about this initiative and what it means for them.
“For me, it creates a deeper connection with my organisation to know that my personal values align with the company values. I feel proud to work with a company that not only cares about employees, but who makes a difference to the environment” – Charmaine Ual, Human Resources Manager.
“It’s actually an honour to be part of a team that gives back by helping preserve the environment we live in. The thought of how these small efforts can help save our future is refreshing and inspiring. It makes you want to do your job even better and keep finding ways to contribute and support our other causes.” – Lance Tiongson, Collections Officer
“I got a chance to bond with people from different teams, which for me was really important. Our WFH setup is convenient, but I think we tend to forget a bit that human interaction is cool too.” – Neil Clyne Neo, Loan Coordinator
“I take pride in being a part of an organisation that supports CSR initiatives like this. Not only do we work with excellence towards the company’s goal, but we also care for the environment. I’m definitely looking forward to future activities.” – Jan Resurreccion, Team Manager
A huge thank you to everyone who participated. It was a fun and rewarding experience, not to mention a great opportunity to spend a day in nature and get involved in a worthwhile and important cause.
Three trees for every Bluestone home loan
Since last year, we’ve been working with One Tree Planted in Australia and New Zealand, and FEED Philippines to give something back to the planet as our business grows. Each time we settle a home loan, we plant three trees – one for each of our offices in Australia, New Zealand and the Philippines. And through our partnership with the Penrith Panthers, we’ve boosted our tree planting efforts to 100 trees for every try the Panthers score.
So far we’ve planted over 15,000 trees. The trees are chosen carefully to support the local ecosystem and wildlife. In Australia, we’re helping to recover forests affected by the 2019-2020 bushfires. In New Zealand, we’re focused on restoring native forests from logging, clearance and invasive species and in the Philippines, we’re helping to replant native forest in the Sierra Madre Mountain Range.
