Hijos Tours remembers their Journeys of Faith by planting new hope for the next generation

Posted on March 29, 2022

Hijos Tours remembers their Journeys of Faith by planting new hope for the next generation

Anchored with new hope for the future generation, CARD Hijos Tours, together with CARD MRI staff and several CARD MBA Coordinators, planted trees in response to the call to take care of the environment towards a brighter future.

St. Francis of Assisi dedicated his life to showing compassion to others and protecting his common home. He showed his love for God by taking care of animals and the environment, making him the patron saint of ecology. This is the kind of faith that Hijos Tours wants to remind the participants of their Pilgrimage Tour Program called “Journeys of Faith”.

Journeys of Faith allows its pilgrims to explore the history of various churches in Laguna, emphasizing St. Francis of Assisi’s expression of love for God and His creations. His faith in action hopes to remind participants about stewardship, one of the core values of Hijos Tours, an institution of CARD MRI that provides meaningful heritage stories through its tour programs.

With this, Hijos Tours led the participants, including CARD MBA Coordinators and CARD MRI staff to protect and preserve the planet by planting more trees.

Growing Faith, Growing Hope

Hijos Tours successfully hosted a tree planting activity on February 25, 2022, held at CARD MRI’s farm in Lalao Bay, Laguna.

A total of 150 seedlings have been planted, carrying the hope that they will grow, bear fruit, and provide a green and sustainable environment for future generations.

With the help of CARD-Business Development Services Foundation, Inc. (CARD-BDSFI) Agriculturist Derick Bautista also known as Kuya Dek from the AgriKaalaman Webinar Series, participants were guided in the basics of planting the seedlings.

The planted seedlings have three classifications: the Satsuma Mandarin tree, the mulberry tree, and the pomelo tree or “suha”. Although these trees will take years to grow, all participants of the tree-planting activity are optimistic that the program renewed their hope of having a better world to live in, most especially for their children.

“Aside from getting to know the history of different churches through the Journeys of Faith, the tour inspired us to show compassion for others, to cherish the rich history of Filipinos, and more importantly, to protect Mother Earth, not only for us but for our children. We want them to see this world as a better place by increasing the number of trees and making our environment healthier and greener,” shared Mina Fernandez, a client of CARD MRI for 24 years and one of the participants of Journeys of Faith.

Leaving a Legacy

Hijos Tours Chairperson and President Marilyn M. Manila shared the significance of the event for this generation and the next. “For us to leave a legacy in this world, there are three things we should consider. First, to have a family of your own, where children will inherit your goodness, and will cherish and remember you for generations to come. Second, publish your book for people to know and recognize you. Lastly, plant trees so that your efforts can be felt until the next centuries. If we can’t complete those three, we can at least do the third one. We can always plant more trees regardless of our age, our status in life, and whatever faith we hold in our hearts.”

Further, Manila expressed her gratitude to all the participants who joined the program. She also stated that the Journeys of Faith and the tree-planting activity are just some of the concrete steps they are taking towards economic recovery.

“We believe that this initiative will help, not only the Philippines’ agricultural industry but more so, our CARD clients who are still in the process of recovering from the pandemic. This program hopes to express that however difficult the times are, they will always reap the fruits of their hard work in the future,” Manila concluded.

Back to Basics

After two years of conducting virtual tour programs, Hijos Tours is now ready to take you to places with inspiring heritage stories and exciting activities. Hijos Tours will continue its in-person Journeys of Faith with more churches added to their list of must-see places to visit.

Among these churches is St. Paul The First Hermit Cathedral in San Pablo City, Laguna, St. John the Baptist Church in Liliw, Laguna, Saint Bartholomew the Apostle Parish Church in Nagcarlan, Laguna, and St. Augustine Parish Church in Bay, Laguna.

Tree-planting activities will also resume after the physical tour.

Hijos Tours is a tour company that promotes the beauty and wonders of the Philippines while nurturing people with stories of the country’s rich heritage. The travel and tours institution of CARD MRI is also known to provide additional support to clients of CARD MRI by involving them in its tour programs.

For more details about the Journeys of Faith, visit Hijos Tours’ official Facebook page, @HijosToursOfficial.