BAGUIO CITY – The Philippine Mine Safety and Environment Association (PMSEA) started planting around 50 species of endemic and native flowering trees in the 2,500-square-meter expanded area of the PMSEA Garden located within the Baguio Botanical Garden.
Under the adopt-a-park program of the city government of Baguio, PMSEA will continue to be the steward of the PMSEA Garden as it renewed its partnership with the city in December 2022. Part of its renewed partnership is the agreement for the extension of the garden from 5,000 sq.m to 7,500 sq.m.
The original scope of the garden area is a forest-like botanic garden, planted with around 160 species of plants. Their latest survey in 2022 revealed that the PMSEA Botanical Garden is a sanctuary to an estimated 1,500 plants, comprising 50% endemic species, 40% native, and 10% imported.
Famous Filipina Environmentalist Celine Murillo simply defines “native species” as species that are naturally growing or found in multiple locations. According to her, this means that long before human disturbances or presence, these types of plants can be found in certain areas. Whereas “endemic species” means native to one place or area and cannot be (naturally) found anywhere else. It can only be found in a specific or unique location.
According to Mark Belmonte, the longtime caretaker of the garden, the number of the planted species keeps on increasing. As the garden focuses on preserving endemic and native species, its expanded area will be home to native and endemic flowering trees. The planting of these trees has already started.
While these flowering trees are still in their early stages and yet to reach their full bloom, there are many things that can be explored and learned inside the main PMSEA Garden. Aside from the various species of plants, the PMSEA Garden also offers resting and recreational areas for visitors.
The Medinilla magnifica, commonly known in the Philippines as kapa-kapa, which is featured at the back of the new 10-peso coin, is a flowering plant that is native to the Philippines and also endemic can be found planted in the PMSEA Garden.
According to Belmonte, this plant, distinct by its pink or coral-red flowers, is also propagated in other countries for its ornamental quality. It is also one of the edible flowering species that are planted in the garden, among others.
Despite being a common native plant in the Philippines, the Medinilla magnifica is becoming exceedingly rare because of forest destruction. Another plant that can be found in the garden that is being threatened is the Cyathea contaminans, also known as tree fern or pakong buwaya in Filipino.
The tree ferns were planted in the PMSEA Garden as a means of preservation due to it being an endangered species. According to Belmonte, one of the main culprits for its endangered state is illegal logging and illegal harvesting of forest plant species because of the tree fern’s wide variety of uses.
In the Cordillera itself, the tree fern trunks are being carved into flower pots, its roots can also be used as soil fertilizer, and its young leaves serve as an ingredient for dishes in the country’s southern regions.
With these, the PMSEA Botanical Garden is not only one of the tourist sites within the Botanical Garden but also a site for awareness through community engagement with the planted species found in the garden.
With the improvements made and maintained in this garden, it might be hard for others to imagine how this lush forest-type garden used to be filled with garbage before PMSEA’s adoption.
Belmonte explains that the expansion area of the garden suffered a similar fate to the earlier land adopted by the PMSEA Garden, which used to be treated as a dumpsite for bags worth of garbage. The recent case for an increased improper waste management was around Holy Week this year. Nevertheless, actions were undertaken to address the concern.
Belmonte highlighted the importance of being responsible park-goers not only in the PMSEA Garden but also in the entire Botanical Garden, especially in terms of proper waste management and not picking or destroying any of the plants that can disrupt the plant’s growth. Being responsible allows the garden to be enjoyed by other visitors and future generations. By Jimmig Malingan & Peachy Clarisse Tillay
