TessDrive brings you the latest updates on environmental conservation, habitat restoration, and lifecycle sustainability, highlighting how the automotive sector and its partners are acting to protect ecosystems and advance the circular economy.
Honda plants 2,000 trees for Arbor Day in Sierra Madre
Honda Foundation Inc (HFI) facilitated the planting of 2,000 trees within the Sierra Madre Mountains at Barangay Magsaysay, Siniloan, Laguna on June 2. Organized in celebration of Arbor Day, the annual June tree-planting event drew 80 volunteers from HFI, local government units, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), and the Magsaysay Coconut Farmers Association (Macofa).
The activity marks the third year of a 5-year reforestation and livelihood project aligned with the DENR’s National Greening Program. With this deployment, the program has successfully achieved its target of planting and sustaining 14,000 fruit-bearing trees since its inception in 2024, aiming to reverse regional deforestation while providing watershed protection and natural flood control for host communities.
HFI’s unified members include Honda Cars Philippines Inc, Honda Philippines Inc, Honda Trading Philippines Ecozone Corp, and Honda Logistics Philippines Inc, with the long-term initiative directly supporting Honda’s global 2050 Zero Carbon vision.
To learn more about HFI, contact (02)-8581-6700 to 6799 and 0917-578-8723.
Chevron releases 146 sea turtle hatchlings in Batangas
Chevron Philippines Inc (CPI) successfully released 146 sea turtle hatchlings into the open waters of Batangas. The release marks the latest milestone in CPI’s long-term environmental stewardship program, bringing the total number of sea turtles nurtured and released through the initiative to 4,261 over the years.
The program is backed by nearly two decades of consistent coastal cleanup operations managed along the shoreline of Chevron’s Batangas terminal. By removing plastic pollution and preventing illegal wildlife poaching, the localized cleanup efforts have transformed coastal stretches into highly secured nesting grounds for threatened Olive Ridley sea turtles, ensuring vital marine biodiversity and ecosystem balance.
SMC Salex unveils replacement green plan for expressway
SMC Southern Access Link Expressway Corp (SMC Salex) has clarified its comprehensive tree management and replacement protocols along Quirino Avenue during the pre-construction phase of its 3.97-km elevated Manila tollway segment. Addressing public environmental concerns, the builder verified that all tree clearing works follow strict Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) technical assessments and inventory permits.
To mitigate infrastructure impact, the project alignment was finalized after engineering reviews to minimize community displacement. Out of the affected trees along the corridor, 94 were deemed structurally viable for earth-balling and relocation. More than 30 trees have already been carefully transplanted to alternative sites within the City of Manila, while the remaining candidates will be relocated as localized road spaces and underground utility lines permit.
Under mandatory DENR permit regulations, SMC Salex will provide 50,700 indigenous forest, fruit-bearing, and economically viable replacement seedlings to be planted across designated DENR-NCR sites. The developer is legally bound to fund and maintain these greening areas over a strict three-year validation period to systematically restore urban green cover.
Toyota endorses local facility for EV battery recycling
Toyota has strengthened the operational readiness of the country’s circular automotive economy by training local dismantlers to safely process electrified vehicle (xEV) components. En Tsumugi ELV Dismantler Corp, the pioneering Toyota-endorsed end-of-life vehicle (ELV) facility in Mexico, Pampanga, recently completed Asia’s first specialized xEV battery dismantling training. Held last March 17 and 18 at Toyota Metal Co Ltd in Aichi, Japan, the technical program was led by Toyota Motor Corp (TMC) for handpicked Philippine and Thailand dismantlers.
The intensive technical modules covered standardized battery dismantling procedures, high-voltage safety precautions, storage protocols, emergency response measures, and material composition recycling flowcharts. The initiative forms part of the “Toyota Global 100 Dismantlers Project,” which maps out a global network of compliant facilities to recover resources safely across a vehicle’s entire lifecycle under the Toyota Environmental Challenge 2050.
The push for lifecycle readiness comes as local xEV adoption accelerates significantly, currently commanding an 11.2% domestic market share and 36.2% year-on-year growth according to CAMPI (Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines) data. In the first quarter of 2026 alone, industry-wide xEV sales reached 11,800 units, with Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) and Lexus securing a combined 5,252 unit sales—accounting for 10.6% of its year-to-date total.
TMP president Masando Hashimoto said: “This proactive step reflects our ‘Beyond Zero’ commitment to ensure that as we advance electrified mobility in the country through Toyota and Lexus xEVs, we are equally prepared across the entire vehicle lifecycle. Building this capability reflects our commitment in preparing for the future of mobility for everyone. This ensures that as the industry evolves, the supporting ecosystem grows in a way that is sustainable, inclusive, and future-ready.”
To know more about En Tsumugi and its ELV processes, watch this YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2eFZfaM1sXU.
MG, En Tsumugi partner for safe fire-damaged EV disposal
MG Motor Philippines has formalized a strategic partnership with En Tsumugi ELV Dismantling Corp to execute the safe, transparent, and environmentally responsible disposal of EV units affected by a fire incident last April 6. The agreement represents the first structured implementation within the domestic automotive industry specifically targeting the proper dismantling and environmental compliance of fire-damaged high-voltage (HV) EV batteries.
Operating out of its model facility in Mexico, Pampanga, En Tsumugi ensures that all sensitive high-voltage components are neutralized, logged, and recycled in a controlled environment to mitigate toxic runoff or public safety hazards. The contract highlights a proactive approach to corporate accountability and strict adherence to emerging global end-of-life vehicle protocols.
MG Motor Philippines president Wei Wei Zhang stated: “Safety, responsibility, and sustainability remain at the core of MG’s operations. Through this partnership with En Tsumugi, we are ensuring that all necessary measures are taken to properly manage and dispose of affected EV units in a way that upholds the highest environmental and safety standards. This reflects our long-term commitment to responsible mobility in the Philippines.”
En Tsumugi CFO and marketing director John Hung added, “As vehicle technologies evolve, proper recovery and treatment standards must evolve as well. En Tsumugi remains committed to supporting safer, more sustainable end-of-life vehicle management aligned with emerging global environmental practices.”