One thousand six hundred twenty-six (1,626) participants, composed of five hundred seventy (570) registered pax and one thousand one hundred forty-two (1,142) volunteers, planted two thousand four hundred eighty (2,480) seedlings in the regionwide simultaneous conduct of the 123rd PCSA Plant-Run of the Civil Service Commission Regional Office VIII (CSC RO VIII), in partnership with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), PENRO-Leyte and the Province of Leyte, on 17 September 2023.

CSC RO VIII, with CSC FOs Leyte I and II, led the Plant-Run Activity in the Province of Leyte. It started with a 1K and 3K Fun Run, and the Tree Planting Activity followed at the MacArthur Landing Memorial National Park, Palo, Leyte, where the participants planted three hundred (300) Bani seedlings.

In the Province of Southern Leyte, CSC FO-Southern Leyte partnered with the Municipal Government of Macrohon, wherein the activity commenced with a 1K Fun Walk and Run and ended at the planting site, the Fish and Bird Sanctuary in Barangays Molopolo and Sta. Cruz in Macrohon, Southern Leyte. Officials and employees of the participating agencies planted around five hundred (500) mangrove trees. It also included a coastal clean-up where they collected around fifty (50) sacks of non-biodegradable waste.

Meanwhile, in the Province of Biliran, the CSC FO-Biliran and CSC-SO Western Leyte conducted the activity at the Cross-Country Road, Brgy. Villa Consuelo, Naval, Biliran, wherein they planted two hundred thirty (230) Narra seedlings.

CSC FO-Eastern Samar, with approximately one hundred twenty (120) participants, planted two hundred (200) mixed hardwood seedlings (Bagonito, Patsaragon, and Narra) at the Brgy. Hebacong, Borongan City.

Further, in CSC FO-Samar, at least four hundred (407) participants from government and private organizations planted one thousand (1000) indigenous tree seedlings.

Lastly, in CSC FO-Northern Samar, there were four (4) planting sites, namely: Urdaneta-Barobayabay, Boulevard, Lavezares, Northern Samar with one hundred (100) mangrove seedlings planted; Sitio Kangkinaway, Pambujan, Northern Samar with one hundred (100) Mamitin and Narra seedlings planted; Brgy. Libjo, Catarman, Northern Samar, with twenty (20) various fruit-bearing tree seedlings; and in Magasang Rock Formation Area, Biri, Northern Samar, with thirty (30) mangrove seedlings planted.

Proceeds from the activity will go to the Pamanang Lingkod Bayani (PLBi), a program that honors government workers who died in the line of duty through the provision of one-time financial assistance plus scholarship opportunities to their families.

Said activity is one of the major activities of the Civil Service Commission in celebration of the 123rd Philippine Civil Service Anniversary, with a 10-year theme: “Transforming Public Service in the Next Decade: Honing Agile and Future-Ready Servant Heroes”.

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