Last year, ATFX, through its corporate and social responsibility arm, ATFX Cares, joined other volunteers during the Panglao Dive Festival to do a coastal cleanup and coral reef restoration with local Filipino financial partners. This year, the ATFX team came to Panglao Island in the Philippines again to participate in the cleanup of the surrounding ocean.
ATFX teamed up with the Environment and Natural Resources Office of Panglao City (MENRO) this year to jointly sponsor the restoration of 5 coral beds at a coral nursery in the Doljo area. The team also did “reforestation” to reduce the area’s increasing marine pollution. In subsequent public welfare activities, ATFX will regularly conduct activities such as cleaning algae and shells, coastal cleaning, collecting garbage such as fishing lines and plastics, and checking for signs of coral diseases such as discoloration.
It was gratifying to note that the implementation of regular care and the restoration of the four coral beds that ATFX sponsored last year had achieved excellent results. The Doljo area had seen rapid coral growth since last year’s cleanup event. Reef rangers would dive at least 2 to 3 times a week during the following year to check whether the planted corals were growing well. In addition, ATFX Cares will continue monitoring the restoration of coral reefs in this area.
Joyce Ann Mayo, Head of ATFX Philippines office, said: “It is ATFX’s responsibility to contribute to society. We don’t exist in silos. The people we contact every day may be our customers, partners, or employees. We do this because we believe it is everyone’s responsibility to protect the world we live in. No corporation can exist without our beautiful planet.”
