VIA GRAPHIC PLUS — SN Aboitiz Power-Magat (SNAP-Magat) underscored the importance of turning commitments into tangible and lasting impact during its annual Host Communities’ Forum (HCF), held on September 8 in Banaue, Ifugao, and September 9 in Santiago City, Isabela, with the theme “Transforming Commitments into Meaningful Change.”
The two-day forum brought together around 153 representatives from local government units from its host communities in Ifugao, Isabela, and Nueva Vizcaya.
In his keynote address, SNAP General Manager and Group Chief Executive Daniel Icasiano emphasized that the real measure to fulfilling commitments is whether something becomes meaningfully different for people, and whether that difference lasts. “Transformation is not what we announce. It is what is still different five years after we leave the room,” he said.
He cited SNAP-Magat’s Bridging Gaps in Higher Education through Tertiary Scholarships (BRIGHTS) and Partnership in Uplifting Upland Natural Resources, Livelihoods and Assets (PUNLA) programs as examples of initiatives that translate commitments into long-term benefits for communities.
Through BRIGHTS, SNAP-Magat has admitted 71 scholars and produced 37 graduates, with 23 scholars currently enrolled for School Year 2026–2027.
Meanwhile, PUNLA has supported watershed and environmental rehabilitation efforts in Ifugao. From 2019 to 2024, the program rehabilitated and restored 34.3 hectares of rice terraces, reforested and enriched 100.44 hectares of forest areas, and established five hectares of agroforestry farms, helping mitigate an estimated 6,722 tons of soil erosion across the province. Under PUNLA-Upper Magat Phase 2, an additional six hectares of rice terraces in Banaue are being restored, with the 2025–2027 program targeting 42.5 hectares of muyongs in Banaue, 42 hectares of rice terraces in Mayoyao and Hingyon, and the conservation of the Mt. Binahagan Micro Watershed in Lagawe.
“Because our ecosystems and communities are so deeply intertwined with your operations, our partnership cannot afford to be stagnant. We must actively work to transform our shared commitment into lasting, visible, and meaningful change for our people,” said Ms. Rosemarie Lindawan, Chief Administrative Officer, speaking on behalf of Ifugao province governor Hon. Jerry Dalipog. “We pledge to maintain a stable and supportive environment for your operations.”
Provincial Administrator of Nueva Vizcaya King Webster Balaw-ing said, “Sa ngalan ng ating butihing gobyerno ng Nueva Vizcaya, gusto ko pong iparating ang pasasalamat sa SNAP-Magat, sa partnership na nabuo with the provincial government, the component municipalities, and the component barangays of Nueva Vizcaya. (On behalf of our good provincial government of Nueva Vizcaya, I would like to extend our gratitude to SNAP-Magat, for the partnership formed with the provincial government, the component municipalities, and the component barangays of Nueva Vizcaya.) We commend SNAP for taking cognizance of their commitments and responsibilities to the communities.”
Municipality of Ramon Vice Mayor Dennis Jon Dela Cruz said, “In 19 years of partnership, talagang naramdaman po ang pagbabago sa bayan, with the help of, of course, the presence of SN Aboitiz in our municipality. Maraming salamat sa mga nangyari na, sa mga kasalukuyang nangyayari, at sa mga susunod na ibibigay pa. (In 19 years of partnership, we truly felt the change in our town, with the help of, of course, the presence of SN Aboitiz in our municipality. Thank you very much for everything that has happened, everything that is currently happening, and everything still to come.)”
The HCF reaffirmed SNAP-Magat’s continued partnership with its host communities and local stakeholders in advancing initiatives that create lasting change in the communities where it operates.
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 underscored the importance of turning commitments into tangible and lasting impact during its annual Host Communities’ Forum (HCF), held on September 8 in Banaue, Ifugao, and September 9 in Santiago City, Isabela, with the theme “Transforming Commitments into Meaningful Change.”){kind=link}