In celebration of the United Nations “Día del Galeón” last month, the Mama Sita Foundation — a Filipino non-stock, non-profit organization promoting Philippine culinary heritage and agricultural sustainability — hosted a symbolic tree-planting ceremony in Mexico, Pampanga.hosted a symbolic tree-planting ceremony in Mexico, Pampanga.
Making the initiative especially meaningful was the participation of His Excellency Dato Abdul Malik Melvin Castelino, Ambassador of Malaysia to the Philippines and 2025 Asean Chair, who planted early-bearing coconut trees at the Asean Plaza of the Agri-Learning Center. He was joined by members of the Asean community: Hon. Soe Ko Ko, chargé d’affaires, and Kay Thwe Khine, economic attaché of the Embassy of Myanmar; and Tommy Parlagutan Butarbutar, counsellor for political affairs of the Embassy of Indonesia.
Also present was Myra Paz Valderrosa-Abubakar, Undersecretary for Halal Tourism and Muslim Concerns of the Department of Tourism. Representatives from the Pampanga local government also took part, symbolizing collaboration and sustainable development among regional partners.
The activity commemorated the UN Day of the Galeon, which marks the 1565 voyage of the first Manila Galleon to Acapulco, Mexico — a historic journey that launched 250 years of trans-Pacific trade and cultural exchange.
With the theme “From Galleons to Greenways: Honoring Our Shared Maritime Heritage through Environmental Action and Asean Solidarity,” the celebration transformed this legacy of connection into environmental action. More than 200 volunteers from various sectors joined the Asean group in planting 200 seedlings of native guava and achuete. Ambassador Castelino underscored the event’s message, saying: “Each sapling we place into the soil is a pledge — a quiet but powerful promise that we will be caretakers of creation, not merely its consumers,” as he called on Asean nations to move “from galleons to greenways” for a more sustainable, harmonious future.