On June 25, 2026, 27 volunteers from Tzu Chi Foundation Bohol joined a mangrove planting activity organized by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in celebration of Philippine Arbor Day.
Led by Deputy Coordinator Bro. Joven Uy, the Tzu Chi group included 19 newly accepted scholars and two Tzu Chi Youth (TCY) members. Together, Tzu Chi volunteers planted 208 mangrove seedlings as part of the wider community effort in Punta Cruz, Maribojoc. The activity also brought together the Local Government Unit of Maribojoc, students from several universities, government agencies, organizations, and other environmental advocates.
Philippine Arbor Day is observed every June 25 as a nationwide occasion for tree planting and other activities that promote environmental stewardship. Presidential Proclamation No. 643, issued in 2004, institutionalized June 25 as Philippine Arbor Day, encouraging government agencies, schools, civil society, the private sector, and citizens to take part in caring for the country’s environment. The observance is also reinforced by the Arbor Day Act of 2012 (Republic Act No. 10176), which promotes tree planting and the establishment of local Arbor Day activities.
In Central Visayas, DENR’s 2026 Arbor Day activities were held under the theme “Green, Clean and Climate-Ready Communities.” At Punta Cruz, the day focused on mangroves—trees that form living coastal barriers, provide habitat for marine life, and help communities become more resilient to coastal erosion and storm surges.
Forester Gliselita Racho of DENR’s Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) in Tagbilaran City said the activity formed part of the agency’s continuing environmental efforts during Environment Month. She explained that the Mangrove and Beach Forest Project has supported reforestation and biodiversity in the area since 2015, with tree-planting activities being conducted since 2017.
“Since June is Environment Month, we initiated activities that contribute to the protection and preservation of our environment,” Racho (leftmost in the photo) said.
“It is not only about planting trees but also about leaving a legacy for future generations,” Henson (rightmost in the photo) said.
For Forester Wilson E. Henson, Officer-in-Charge of the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO) in Bohol, the meaning of Arbor Day reaches beyond the seedlings planted in a single morning.
Hearing of the various Tzu Chi missions told on to him by Bro. Joven Uy, he further expressed hope for more collaborations with Tzu Chi Bohol, particularly activities that engage young people in protecting and conserving the environment while helping uplift the lives of Boholanos.
“Tzu Chi really conducts programs like this, and that is why I also wanted to volunteer. I took the opportunity because I realized that I could help our community and grow a tree. Someday, I can look at it and say, ‘I planted that. I was able to help.” – Joyce Anne Discalar
For some of Tzu Chi Bohol’s newly accepted scholars, the activity offered a first experience of planting trees—and a chance to see volunteerism take root in a personal way.
“It was a wonderful experience because it was my first time planting. Most of the environmental activities I had joined before were coastal cleanups, so this was something new for me. What we did can also help our community,” said Joyce Anne Discalar, a new scholar from BISU Main.
Discalar said Tzu Chi’s service activities encouraged her to volunteer and make the most of the opportunity to contribute.
New scholar Rey Torres (rightmost in the photo) likewise found joy in being of service to nature, he shared, “I just wanted to enjoy my life and help nature. Tree planting also sounded like it would be fun,” Torres said. “When you plant trees, you have to be careful with the seedlings and with our environment, because this is where we live. This is our home. There is no other planet, so we need to take care of our environment and help prevent disasters.”
Tzu Chi staff member and licensed agriculturist Menard Alisoso (2nd from the right in the photo) emphasized the importance of mangroves to island communities. He encouraged communities to continue planting mangroves, noting their role in strengthening and improving coastal areas. He also observed that the mangrove variety planted during the activity has a strong capacity to regenerate and recover.
For fourth-year TCY member Joshua Barbacina, seeing new scholars participate wholeheartedly gave him hope that environmental service will continue with the next generation of Tzu Chi youth.
“As a fourth-year scholar, I am very committed to helping our environment because this is one of our missions in Tzu Chi,” Barbacina(5th from the left in the photo) said. “I am hopeful that this activity will not end with our term, but that the legacy begun by TCY will continue. I am beyond grateful to see new faces enjoying the tree planting without hesitation.”
He added that caring for the environment is also a way of caring for ourselves. What may appear to be a small activity today, he said, can create a much greater impact in the future.
The wider Punta Cruz Arbor Day activity planted 1,600 Bongalon mangrove seedlings with the participation of 271 environmental advocates, according to DENR Central Visayas. For the Tzu Chi volunteers, their 208 seedlings became part of this larger shared effort to restore the coastline and also became 208 promises to protect the coasts, nurture the Earth and leave something living for those who come after.
