Personnel of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), together with employees of 106 business locators inside the Freeport conducted a tree planting activity in Pastolan Village on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, in celebration of Arbor Day.
A total of 592 volunteers planted 834 saplings of fruit-bearing trees, including jackfruit, cashew, soursop, and lipote, at the Mulawin Bayakan Reforestation Site in Pastolan Village, an ancestral domain of the Aeta Indigenous People within the Subic Bay Freeport.
Dubbed “Magtanum Kitamo: Subic Bay’s Arbor Day and Forest Bounty Showcase,” the activity carried the theme “Our Forest, Our Craft, Our Bounty,” highlighting the role of forests in sustaining biodiversity, livelihoods, and community well-being.
The event gathered hundreds of participants in a bid to strengthen forest restoration, enhance biodiversity, and contribute to long-term climate resilience within the Subic Bay Freeport.
The fruit-bearing trees are expected to support ecological balance and provide benefits to communities through additional sources of food and livelihood.
SBMA Ecology Center Officer-in-Charge Rossell L. Abuyo said the annual Arbor Day celebration serves as a reminder of the shared responsibility of government agencies, private sector partners, and communities in protecting the environment.
“Every tree we plant today is a step toward a greener and healthier Subic Bay. We are grateful for the strong support of our locators and employees who continue to partner with SBMA in protecting the environment and promoting sustainability,” Abuyo said.
SBMA OIC-Senior Deputy Administrator for Regulatory Group Amethya P. Dela Llana lauded the participants for their contribution to environmental conservation efforts.
“Ang bawat punong itinanim natin ay ambag sa pangangalaga ng kalikasan at sa pagpapanatili ng likas na yaman ng Subic Bay para sa susunod na henerasyon. Dapat nating ipagmalaki na naging bahagi tayo ng gawaing ito para sa ating kapaligiran,” she said.
Philippine Arbor Day is observed nationwide every June 25 under Republic Act No. 10176, or the Arbor Day Act of 2012. It promotes tree planting and environmental conservation among Filipinos.
In line with this observance, communities, local government units, and government agencies across the country continue to implement tree-growing to address climate change and strengthen environmental sustainability. (Dante M. Salvana)