Employees of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) from the Central Office and the 17 Collection Districts joined the nationwide simultaneous tree planting activity on November 26.

A total of 4,500 seedlings were planted as part of the Bureau’s Customs Social Responsibility (CSR) Program with the theme, “Ikaw, Ako, at ang BOC.”

The initiative, dubbed “Puno ng Kinabukasan,” signifies nature bringing a bountiful future.

Customs 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,” said Customs Commissioner Ruiz.

“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, pag nagtanim tayo ng puno at inaalagaan ang kalikasan ay para na rin natin inaalagaan ang ating kinabukasan” he stressed.

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.

Among the seedlings planted during the simultaneous activity were Narra, Molave, Mahogany and Mangrove, to name a few.

As directed by President Ferdinand 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, Commissioner Ruiz aggresively pursues innovations and development of Customs programs to boost employee morale while supporting similar advocacies as part of his priority programs.