Toyota Motor Philippines Corporation (TMP), through the Toyota Motor Philippines Foundation, has donated P3 million to support the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ Tamaraw Conservation Program (TCP).
The funding will support conservation work for the critically endangered Tamaraw, which is native to Mindoro. It will go toward habitat monitoring and research, training for barangay and Indigenous Peoples’ volunteers, public education activities, and improvements to the Tamaraw Research and Conservation Center. A significant portion will fund research and monitoring equipment for the facility.
TMP Foundation, the DENR-Tamaraw Conservation Program Office, and the Mindoro Biodiversity Conservation Foundation Inc. formalized the partnership through a memorandum of agreement at the 2026 Tamaraw Fiesta in Calintaan, Occidental Mindoro. The event marked the annual Special Month for the Conservation and Protection of Tamaraw in Mindoro.
The donation continues a partnership that began with a memorandum of understanding between the DENR and TMP Foundation in December 2024, alongside the launch of Next Generation Tamaraw. In 2025, TMP donated a utility vehicle for TCP field operations and P500,000 worth of “Bantay Tamaraw” kits for rangers conducting patrols and monitoring in known Tamaraw habitats.
The species has special significance to TMP because it shares its name with Toyota’s utility vehicle. The company also linked its conservation support to Toyota Environmental Challenge 2050, which includes a goal of living in harmony with nature through biodiversity conservation.
The donation comes as the TCP reports a rise in Tamaraw numbers in Mounts Iglit-Baco Natural Park. The 2026 annual count recorded 425 animals, up from 380 in 2025. The DENR attributed the increase to sustained habitat protection, scientific monitoring, law enforcement, and community participation.