Huawei, Rainforest Connection Collaborate to Protect Palawan Rainforest

The environmental advocates and forests rangers in the Philippines partner to protect Philippine rainforests.

“Huawei Rainforest Connection Phase 1” was recently launched by Huawei Technologies Phils. Ins. (HTPI) as a pilot project in cooperation with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and Smart Communications. Phase 2 will be in Bukidnon in partnership with Globe Telecom.

“The Huawei Rainforest Connection hopes to help curb the rate of deforestation in the country, which is the largest contributor to green gas emissions, and cause of major calamities like flooding and landslides. This is one of the projects wherein industry Telco players and Government join hands to protect our environment.“ said Daniel Guo Zhi, Huawei Phils. Vice President/COO.

The project was formally presented to DENR Secretary Roy Cimatu last January 21, 2020 during a meeting with Topher White, Rainforest Connection (RFCx) CEO and Founder; Darwin Flores, Vice President of Smart Communications, Nilo Tamoria, DENR Executive Director, Jim O. Sampulina, DENR Undersecretary; and Karrie Buenafe and Sally Zhou from Huawei Public Affairs.

Thru Huawei’s collaboration with Rainforest Connection, a US-Based Non-Profit Organization, used Huawei cellphones are upcycled to help protect the rainforest from illegal logging by repurposing them as “Rainforest Guardians.”

Technically known as bio-acoustic monitoring devices, sounds from the forests are recorded, uploaded to Huawei Cloud via Data Connection, analyzed by Huawei AI and alerts are sent to forest rangers in real time.

DENR and the Forest Rangers in Palawan now use Huawei’s mobile phones as their “listening posts” in the forest areas and are quickly alerted when sounds of threats like chainsaws are identified.

By using Huawei Cloud, Internet of Things and AI-assisted servers, Palawan and the Philippines will be better protected from illegal logging.

Since its launching last week, three alerts of illegal logging in the area were verified and foiled by the Forest rangers.

Rainforest Connection is one of the key programs under Huawei Tech4all that applies technology, applications and skills to help conserve nature and mitigate the effects of climate change and protect our planet more efficiently.