Officials and employees of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) from its central office and the 17 collection districts held a nationwide simultaneous tree planting activity.

In a statement Monday, the BOC said employees planted a total of 4,500 seedlings during the activity dubbed as “Puno ng Kinabukasan” which was held simultaneously in various locations on Nov. 26.

Commissioner Yogi Filemon Ruiz led the joint tree-planting activity of the Central Office, Ports of Manila, Batangas, Ninoy Aquino International Airport, and the Manila International Container Port at Sitio Bulihan, Barangay Tabangao Ambulong in Batangas City.

“Planting a tree is a two-edged sword. It is the most selfish thing and also the most selfless act that you can do. You plant a tree for yourself and your children because you want to ensure the survivability of your lineage, but, in doing so, you also ensure that other people and species will benefit from it, when we plant a tree and take care of nature, we are also taking care of our future,” the BOC chief added.

Among the tree seedlings planted were narra, molave, mahogany and mangroves, among others.

The Ports of Tacloban, Surigao, Subic, Clark, Davao, Cebu, Cagayan De Oro, Limay, Zamboanga, Aparri, iloilo, and Legazpi also held their tree planting activity programs in their respective cities.

The activity is part of the Bureau’s Customs Social Responsibility (CSR) Program with the theme, “Ikaw, Ako, at ang BOC.”

It is also the agency’s response to the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to all government agencies to make tree planting a part of programmed activities that help strengthen the country’s flood resilience capability through tree planting and other environmental campaigns. (PNA)