Zonta Club of Central Tuguegarao combats climate-related risk to women and girls

The Zonta Club of Central Tuguegarao, Philippines, in partnership with Metropolitan Tuguegarao Water District (MTWD) and Tuguegarao City – Cagayan Dental Chapter (TCDC), conducted a successful tree growing activity on 11 October 2025, at the Zonta Forest and Garden, San Roque Watershed, Peñablanca, Cagayan.

An award-winning "Zonta Says NOW" project recognized during the District 17 Conference in Macao, the “Zonta Forest and Garden: The Road to 13K Trees” project was conceived in response to the severe flooding in Tuguegarao City caused by Typhoon Ulysses in 2020. Situated in San Roque, Peñablanca, Cagayan, the Zonta Forest and Garden is part of a 5-hectare watershed that serves as the primary water source for the communities of Peñablanca and Tuguegarao City, which have populations of 50,856 and 167,297, respectively.

This continuing initiative is a practical embodiment of Zonta International’s mission to fight gender-based violence (GBV) through climate justice. Climate justice is intrinsically linked to GBV, as climate-related disasters and environmental degradation severely increase the vulnerability of women and girls to violence and abuse through displacement, economic stress, and compounded safety and health risks. Women and girls are disproportionately affected by the climate crisis. Around the world, they are displaced by climate change and often lose their security, livelihoods and protection against violence in the aftermath of a disaster.

Led by the club's Environment Committee Chair, Zontian Cheyenne Tang, the activity was made possible through the active participation of the members of the Zonta club, TCDC partners and guests who collaborated to plant 500 seedlings, under the leadership of Club President Josefina Sedano.

The club believes that every seedling planted today is a seed for security tomorrow. By helping to stabilize this watershed and mitigate environmental damage, the club is taking a necessary step to protect our community members from the instability that often fuels violence against women and girls.

The long-term impact of this tree-growing activity will directly benefit women and girls near the watershed area by restoring and protecting the local environment. This will reduce the risk of climate-related disasters, prevent displacement, and lessen the economic stress on families—all critical actions that support the welfare, safety, and empowerment of women and girls in the area by tackling the root causes of their vulnerability. As of the report date, the Zonta Club of Central Tuguegarao has already planted 3,200 seedlings out of the 5,000 trees targeted for the year.