In the Realm of the Diwata

She reclines, centuries upon centuries of noble guardianship taking its toll upon her delicate, yet inimitably strong, frame. Her long, flowing dark hair cascades gently behind her weary body as she lowers herself to the gentle earth. We tread softly upon her bosom, and we pass by the wondrous creatures that sought her refuge and care. They seek it still, in her and in us.

The mountain that is Mariang Makiling. Photo from this site.

Mariang Makiling lies, a deity in graceful repose, but she has yet to rest in peace. There is still work to be done.

Traveling southeast, Mount Makiling is roughly two hours or 65 kilometers from Manila. It is the considered the most accessible ecotourism destination for those who live in the Philippine capital--as such, it is frequented by more than 200,000 people a year.

The inactive volcano stands 1,100 meters above sea level, and houses more than 4000 hectares of forest reserve. It is under the management of the University of the Philippines Los Baños.

Mount Makiling plays quite a role in the Philippine ecosystem. First, it is a watershed: it provides clean water as it collects fresh rainwater through the plants that thrive in the mountain. It helps keep natural disasters at bay as it lessens surface runoff, or excess water the ground is not able to absorb, from thunderstorms and typhoons. Second, it is an airshed: it sequesters carbon dioxide from the air through its life processes and releases oxygen in return.

The Makiling Botanic Gardens is a short drive away from the University of the Philippines Los Baños lower campus.

A trip to the Makiling Botanic Gardens offers eager visitors like us a slice of the mountain's bounty. "This place is a collection of plants representing the landscape of Philippine flora," Benjamin Arizala, a professor at the UP Los Baños College of Forestry and Natural Resources, informs us. The garden is an educational facility that aims to promote public awareness and an appreciation for diversity. It is also a conservation area for plant life, especially those facing extinction. The university cultivates  the plants until they can be returned to their natural habitat.

He then proceeds to show us a number of interesting plants originating from as far as South America to those from our own backyard, in the regions of Mindanao and Bicol. Plants taken from outside the country are labeled exotic, while those native to the Philippines are labeled endemic or indigenous.

The tree itself kind of looks like a weeping willow.

Prof. Arizala demonstrates the reason why the candle plant is named as such.

Prof. Arizala picks up a fallen fruit from one of the exotic trees. It was a thin, cylindrical fruit, pale yellow in color and approximately a foot in length and less than half an inch in diameter. Images of the cemetery and corners of churches filled my mind as he held it up for us to see. "This is the candle plant," he says, gesturing to the tree behind him. Where it got its name was evident from the fruit. To further illustrate this, our enthusiastic tour guide plucks a leaf from one of its branches. "Light the candle," he tells one of my classmates. She obeys, using an invisible lighter that she pulled from her jeans pocket. Prof. Arizala places the leaf he plucked just above the stem of the fruit. Indeed, nature feeds the imagination just as much as it feeds life.

The Bicol abiki is dwarfed by the gigantic Philippine teak of Mindoro.

A few feet away, a South American big-leaf mahogany tree stands majestically among the bushes. The good professor tells us that this particular tree is good for reforestation, because it is a fast-growing species. Then, he leads us to the Bicol abiki, an ornamental palm tree with a  willowy trunk that was almost wiped off the face of the planet.

 The peculiarity and color of the kapa-kapa stood out for me.

What caught my eye, however, even before we started the tour was this beautiful flower the likes of which I have never seen before in my life. It was a cluster of magenta with bright yellow centers. It looked like it was holding a parasol above its dainty head; it was a shade of light pink that greatly appealed to my senses. Prof. Arizala introduces it as the kapa-kapa (Filipino for "cape"), first discovered in Mount Makiling and noted for its unusual structure. It typically attaches to branches of trees, but they once planted some on the ground and it still survived.

 Another flowering plant takes away the limelight from the deceivingly famished-looking branches of the mangkono tree sapling.

Later, he leads us to a seemingly innocuous young tree named the mangkono tree. Called the iron tree of the Philippines, its wood is so tough that a diamond saw is needed to cut it. The tree draws minerals from the soil, giving it a characteristically rigid structure. It is an extremely rare plant that thrives in ultramafic soil, or soil with a heavy metal concentration. Mindanao is known for having this kind of soil. Prof. Arizala tells us that the mangkono trees planted in Luzon are not as hard as the ones that grow in Mindanao.

 The replica of a germinated dipterocarpus seed.

A curious monument stands just off-center of the entrance to the Botanic Garden. It is a larger-than-life replica of a dipterocarpus seed. These seeds possess two wings that act as a sort of propeller, allowing it to reach the ground faster. Dipterocarpus seeds rot more easily than others, so the urgency of it reaching the ground is higher. The Philippines, according to Prof. Arizala, is full of dipterocarp species of plants.

 Frogs are good biological indicators: if they are found in a particular area, it means that that place is relatively free of pollution, and its conditions are conducive for living.

Suddenly, after we took our final steps leading out of the garden, the task of saving these creatures became more pressing than ever. The typhoons of the past year alone continue to haunt those who made the mistake of thinking that the only purpose of nature is to provide us with everything that we could ever need--and want. The success of the Makiling Botanic Gardens, and the rest of Makiling's forest reserve, shows us that we are more than capable of being effective, responsible stewards of the earth.

A peaceful stone-strewn river beckons; it is located a short walk away from the entrance.

I find that the singular beauty of the kapa-kapa and the resilience of the mangkono reflect all too well its native land's own uniqueness and the cast-iron spirit of those who dwell in it. The dipterocarps of this land might as well refer to the enterprising minds and the determined, unyielding nature of the Filipino will in the face of poverty, hardship, and discrimination. One can almost hear the serene, tinkling voice of Mariang Makiling in the mountain's soft breeze, imploring you to help preserve and protect her beloved creatures--it is hers, as much as it is ours.

 Mariang Makiling trustfully ushers you in.

The Makiling Botanic Gardens is open daily (except on holidays), from 8 AM to 4:30 PM. A tour costs P150 for two hours (add P50 for each succeeding hour). Its peak months are February and September to October. They will be celebrating the Makiling Centennial on November 21, which features a number of events and activities. For more information, visit their website or contact Benjamin Arizala at contact numbers 049-536-2637 / 63-919-317-5337.