Around 30 percent of the more than 1 billion tourist traffic globally look for nature-themed destinations like parks, ecotourism sites, bike paths, bird-watching areas, coastal water activities, botanical gardens, farm visits and others.
ONE of the most important services attached to infrastructure development, be it residential, commercial, a park or a farm, is landscaping. Just like what cosmetics does to the beauty of women, landscaping enhances our environment.
Today, more and more private and government owners spend extra to have a beautifully landscaped property. It increases the value of the property and is a very welcoming feature of a place. One type of landscaping that is becoming popular nowadays is natural landscaping, or also referred to as native gardening.
Natural landscaping is the use of native trees, shrubs, groundcover and grasses that are indigenous to the geography of the garden. Native or indigenous plants or trees are those that have existed for hundreds or thousands of years that have already acclimatized itself with the soil, water and air, including pests in the area.
Do you know that nonnative species of plants and trees are the second most serious threat to global biodiversity after habitat loss? Most at risk are islands, freshwater and coastal waters.
In a recent site development charrette that we participated in, the group identified at least 10 destructive species of nonnative plants, shrubs and trees that were wreaking havoc to the native plants in the area. Some vines were choking some fruit-bearing trees and some shrubs have overtaken certain areas that, even after weeding, the species grows back so fast that they have to employ more people to do this chore.
I was told by landscape architects that the reason they import some plant and tree materials is because the native plants are not available in the quantities they need.
This is a business opportunity! How many of us have friends that have idle lands and they do not know what to do with it? Plant and propagate native species in demand in the quantity needed by the landscape architects. There are so many construction projects going on now and one may even consider exporting these plants and trees. But what are these plants? The landscape architects should go to the media; radio, print, TV and social-media outlets to inform the public about the type of plants they need for certain designs to get this new industry to grow.
The naturally landscaped areas are easier to maintain and provides aesthetics all year round. Those that have been doing natural landscapes have this to say:
- it reduces air pollution and uses less or no chemicals for landscape maintenance;
- it increases regional biodiversity and decreases the amounts of pests and diseases;
- it improves storm-water management and controls flooding;
- it conserves water and preserves its quality; and
- it provides historical and cultural interests by restoring and connecting residents to the original landscapes of the area.
The last point reminds me of three places in the Philippines that could further develop their tourist attractions by planting some of the almost, if not totally, extinct species of trees from where the places derive its name. One is Betis in Pampanga. When you visit the place, the residents are so proud to show off their church that is completely covered with beautiful wood carvings out of the betis tree. The same goes with their antique furnitures and chandeliers. But there is not a single betis tree that can be seen in the area. I understand my friend Myrna Bituin is reaching out to UP Los Baños in the hopes of acquiring Betis plantings.
Another is Antipolo in Rizal province, from where its name is derived from the tipolo tree. It is told that when the image of our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage, which was then under the care of the Jesuits, would disappear at night, the image will be found the next day on top of the tipolo tree. The natives then would say, “nanduon ang birhen sa ibabaw ng an tipolo.” The Jesuits and the residents eventually realized that they had to build a church in the area for the Virgin. Again, we need tipolo trees to remind us of this story and enhance the visit of tourists.
The third is nilad from where Maynilad is named after. Old records and photos show that the area had nilad all over. The shrubs, with its white flowers, were extensively used then as a decoration for special events. Can you imagine if we brought back these plants in abundance in Maynilad?
In the recently concluded Farm Tourism Conference in Tagaytay City, it was good that the landscape architects were invited. The participants were enlightened as to the important role of the landscape architects in highlighting the important parts of a farm-tourism site. For example, they discussed where the proper area for the information counter, the children’s activity area, the farm stay area, the kitchen and picnic areas, the souvenir shops, the parking areas, the guard house, etc.
Several countries have landscape policies, guidelines, including tools and techniques, and even laws that guide landscape architects. The Philippines has to have one soon before we lose our native plants to new land and property developments. For example, what native trees could be or could not be removed if an area is being readied for development. In Hawaii, if your property has native trees, those can be included in the insurance cover. When one sells that particular property, the number of trees is also included in the valuation. What a wonderful way to preserve and encourage the planting of trees!
To preserve our native plants, I suggest we can learn from people like Anthony Arbias, who knows the different types of native species, prevent the spread of non-native species in our gardens, and join the Philippine Association of Landscape Architects (Pala) who, by the way, will be conducting short courses on natural landscaping in partnership with the International School of Sustainable Tourism (ISST).
If you have a big property, please include in your natural landscaping a bike path, storm-water detention areas that could be used for boat rides or fishing, and plant native species that could be used as a shield for strong winds. Before doing so, consult with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) or grab a copy of the book they published on the Trees of the Philippines.
By the way, congratulations to the newly elected officials of the Pala, lead by Eric Estonido. I attended their last general meeting, where I spoke and where some 50 new landscape architects were inducted into office by the chairman of the Philippine Landscape Architect Regulatory Board, Paolo Alcazaren.
The good news is the first Asia Pacific Natural Landscape Conference and Exhibition will be held in the Philippines next April.
From September 19 to 23, the guru on Ecolodge Design, Planning and Development will hold a five-day training course and workshop on this subject at the ISST in Subic Bay Freeport Zone. Hitesh Mehta Designs Inc. is an architecture and landscape architecture firm that started with traditional designs and is now involved in ecodesign practice from project inception to construction supervision. Hitesh Mehta has done projects in more than 55 countries spanning six continents, from ecolodges to housing, community centers, national parks and nature reserve, tourism accommodations, shopping malls, religious and cultural centers. He is an advocate of metaphysical approach to site development, which he describes as the “Eco before Ego” principle. Mehta is a multiawarded Eco architect and natural landscape artist by the United Nations and many other well-known institutions whose works can be seen in the Galapagos islands, China, South America, Kenya and Costa Rica, to name a few.
Do you know that so far only El Nido qualifies to be an authentic ecolodge in the Philippines and, thus, will be included in the next edition of the Authentic Ecolodges in the World book by Mehta? Hopefully, new ones will be established soon and qualify as such.
There are only very few ecolodges in the world and to be considered as one, an ecolodge must conform to the three basic principles of ecotourism and at least three of the basic criteria of an authentic ecolodge. To know more, we urge you to join the forthcoming training and workshop on this subject.
As I have said many times, if we manage our natural resources well and utilize sustainable materials in places that we need to preserve and protect, the country would have a lot of ecotourism sites to show our visitors.
Dr. Mina T. Gabor was the founder and president of the Center for International Trade Exhibitions and Missions Inc. (Citem) of the Department of Trade and Industry, and the secretary of the Department of Tourism from 1996 to 1998. She continues to work on her passion of promoting the Philippines through trade and tourism as the president of the International School of Sustainable Tourism (ISST), as founder and president of the Philippine Small and Medium Business Development Foundation Inc. (PHILSMED), and the president of the Automobile Association of the Philippines Travel Agency. For any feedback, please contact this writer at minagabor2010@gmail.com.