AVANT GARDENER
The Philippines is a center for biodiversity. Unfortunately, the significance of this is lost on many Filipinos. Many Filipinos do not understand that flora and fauna play a huge role in the health of the planet.
Sometimes, well-meaning people will implement poorly-thought out programs that result in the further degradation of our flora and fauna. Most of the time, this involves planting the wrong tree species or releasing invasive species into the wild.
Fortunately, there are people who have made it their mission to properly protect and conserve their local environments. Michael Asinas is one of them.
A landscaper, horticulturist, and heritage house translocator involved in the real estate business, Cavite-based Asinas is a San Pablo, Laguna native who spends his weekends planting native trees around Sampaloc Lake with friends and volunteers.
“Since I’m in landscaping and a horticulturist at the same time, it’s my advocacy to promote Philippine native trees. They are normally underutilized because of [the] colonial mentality [that] whatever is imported is much better,” he said in Taglish.
San Pablo City is known as the City of Seven Lakes. One of them is Sampaloc Lake, located within the city proper. There’s about a 3.7 kilometer area around the lake where people can walk, jog, bike, and do other relaxing activities. It also used to be populated by illegal settlers and restaurants, which the local government successfully relocated. The relocation left several spots vacant, and that’s where Asinas got the idea to plant native trees.
“One way to preserve native species is to plant them in urban areas,” he said. “If they’re threatened in the forests, why not put them in urban areas where they’re appreciated and can be preserved. They can be a source of seeds and a habitat for local fauna.”
Since he was already spearheading the use of native trees at work, he thought, “Why not plant them in his own backyard?” “It’s a way for me to give something back to the city and the environment,” he said. “Since I was exposed to native tree nurseries, I envisioned a native tree park in San Pablo City.”
He spoke to the San Pablo City tourism officer to get permission to plant native trees around the lake. The City agreed. The project began on Aug. 19, 2019.
This is a wholly personal initiative, with Asinas shouldering most of the operating expenses. The seedings were obtained free from native tree nurseries. “We invited friends [and] different organizations and unfortunately… at first, the people who joined were from outside San Pablo City, Makati, Los Baños, from other towns... but lately, [many San Pablo residents] have been joining. There are schools, civic organizations, and churches.”
Some of the 100 species planted include almaciga (Agathis philipinesis), balayong (Cassia L., Fabaceae), dita (Alstonia scholaris), palo maria (Calophyllum antillanum), guijo (Shorea guiso), ylang ylang, narra, balay lamok (Crateva religiosa), and Palawan cherry. “We’ve planted more than 1,000 trees,” Asinas said. “…but I want to add more species. We have around 3,500 native tree species in the Philippines… there’s more we can add to the lake.”
Science has proven that there are many benefits to having access to trees. Asinas rattles off some of them: “…beautification, in cleaning of air, pollution control control, flood control, habitat for our native birds [and] animals.., they reduce temperature, provide shade, provide food… They make the area healthier.”
He laments that his efforts aren’t always appreciated. “Unfortunately, support from the local government is minimal. Some of the trees have been cut down, burned or vandalized. We placed nameplates and tree guards on some trees and they’ve been stolen.”
He also hopes that the public understands that caring for the environment does not end with tree planting. “What we’re doing is tree nurturing because we have to make sure that the trees we plant reach maturity,” Asinas explained. “Even if it’s expensive, we see to it that the nurturing portion, the weeding, watering, fertilization, pruning [gets done].
“We have success stories. Some of the trees have matured and flowered… and have contributed to the local economy. For example, some people collect ylang ylang from the trees we planted to sell as garlands in front of the church,” Asinas said. “The residents are slowly seeing how the trees beautify their area.”
Asinas, his friends, and volunteers continue to plant trees around Sampaloc Lake. Despite their setbacks, he is happy that public awareness around the importance of native flora is growing. “Many [real estate] developers and civic organizations are seeing the importance of native trees,” he said. “Many towns have also seen the adverse effects of planting invasive or exotic species.”
Asinas hopes that his plan for a native tree sanctuary along Sampaloc Lake will one day become a reality. He also hopes that more Filipinos understand the importance of native flora in maintaining a healthy and thriving environment.