I have been reading “Alay: the Philippine native trees in the Victor O. Ramos Arboretum,” the book of Vic Ramos’ farm in Natividad, Pangasinan, 4 hours north of Manila. It is a great source of information about these trees. For those of us who are interested in restoring our aboriginal and indigenous environment, the Arboretum is a magical place from our ancient past.
Imagine living in a fantasyland of our ancestors brought to the present reality by the dream of one man, Victor O. Ramos! There are about 300 native trees there, many of them donated by friends of Victor over the years. When you are in the middle of it, you seem to be transported to a time when the Philippines was a land of virgin forests and pure springs and rivers. Every now and then I look at the photos of Vic and I planting a Kupang tree* that is now a giant in this dream woodland! I consider that moment one of the highlights of my life. After we’re all gone, the tree will still be there. There are many articles about the Arboretum online. Vic and I are old friends from University of the Philippines in the early 1960s.
“Kupang is a large, fast-growing deciduous tree from the legume family … Kupang wood is of good quality nd is used for joinery, furniture making and interior finishes. The seeds are considered beneficial in the treatment of hepatalgia, oedema, nephritis, diabetes, and colic probably as a result of their diuretic and relaxing effect. It is also used as an anthelmintic.The leaves and bark are applied topically to clean wounds and skin ulcers, and are also used as a cure for scabies. The bark is used externally as a treatment against boils and abscesses. The green legumes are consumed as a vegetable and seeds are eaten raw, boiled or roasted with garlic.”
With former Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources Victor O. Ramos at the Arboretum in Natividad, Pangasinan. Our of the 4 trees we planted, only mine survived. See the tree below at least a decade later.
