Rubber trees

A tree with more than a thousand uses—the rubber tree.

In Basilan, huge rubber tree plantations abound. Rubber trees could be the reason why Basilan is the only ARMM province, which does not belong to the top 40 poorest provinces of the Philippines.

While reviving that wonderful trip to a rubber tree plantation in Basilan, I just thought how selfless a rubber tree could be.

Before those sturdy rubber-based products get into the market, thousands of rubber trees endure the pain of being beaten by bolos just so latex could come out of them. And mind you, not a cut is enough, once there is no more latex coming out from the original cut, another cut is made. The process goes on.

Painful.

But rubber trees are strong. They remain standing amid all the cuts. Young rubber trees can’t do that, only the mature ones can.

Only a mature rubber tree can ooze out substance in the form of latex-- to breathe life into thousands of industries and to millions of people depending on them. Only a mature rubber tree can give off towering shade. Only a mature rubber tree can go beyond itself. Maturity enables it to “realize” that there’s a bigger, nobler purpose for its being.