LEE ANN:

Hi, I usually care for trees. I’ve only recently started taking care of house plants, but before it was all trees that we would find sa gubat, pang reforestation and pang forest talaga. Pero ngayon, di ako makalabas sa gubat at nagkaroon nga nitong trend na ‘to na may house plants. Sumali na rin ako kaya meron na rin akong house plants ngayon.

ONGGIE:

Ok salamat, Lee Ann. Oh, how about Erika, anong inaalagaan mo?

ERIKA:

Ah. Nung una, puro calatheas lang. Nung napapahilig palang ako sa halaman, puro madaling alagaan na halaman lang yun inaalagaan ko sa bahay. Pero nung medyo lumaki na at nagka-budget, nakabili na rin ng mga philodendron, aglaonema. Dati kasi, may farm kami pero ngayon kinonvert na namin yung dating pinyahan sa pagpopropagate ng mga calathea lutea, ganun.

ONGGIE:

Ok salamat sa pagkwento. Baka si Ma’am Tess, si Atty. Tess, meron din inaalagaan? Baka plantita na rin siya.

ATTY T:

Actually I grew up in a family na talagang enthusiast, into gardening. Yes, marami kaming orchids and ornamental plants. And I can’t remember the names…but yes, we have a big farm and front yard. So that’s where my mother used to do this gardening. So normally, she stays up to 2-3 hours, just watering our plants. Can you imagine? We have a big farm, a big garden. And up to this very time, she’s still doing it, so hinding-hindi to bago sa akin. In fact, noong Ondoy, marami rin akong halaman sa amin at binibili ko pa nga sa kung saan-saan akong region nakakapunta. I even ask for permits from DENR para maibyahe ko siya sa eroplano. Yun, so yes.

ONGGIE:

May mga original na plantita pala tayo dito na kasama. Di pa uso malamang yung plantita noon, naggagardening na at nag aalaga na ng halaman at puno yung mga kasama natin. Pero siguro magandang pagusapan natin, ano ba tong plantito/plantita na phenomenon na ito? Matanong ko lang si Lee Ann: whats this phenomenon na to na “plantito/plantita,” at kung alam mo kung saan kaya to nagmula?

LEE ANN:

Ako, tingin ko nagsimula siya sa awareness ng mas maraming tao na nasisira na yung mundo natin. Na kailangan natin gumawa ng kahit anong step para tulungan na mag recover yung Mother Earth from global warming and climate change…things like that. Tingin ko, dun nag stem na nagsimulang magtanim yung mga tao. Nagkaroon ng nauso for a while, yung gardening na edible gardening, container gardening. Tapos ngayon mas indoor gardening na.

Tingin ko, kasama rin sa pagkauso nito is may ibang tao na hindi nagsestem sa environmentalism. Yung or maliit yung part ng environmentalism, pero mas malaki yung pinanggagalingan na gusto nila yung aesthetic ng may halaman. Para kapag nasa Zoom meeting ka, maganda yung backdrop mo or ipopost mo siya sa Instagram. Nagkaroon ng mas malaking trend kasi may inggitan na, “Ay! Mas maganda yung calathea niya” or “Meron siya nitong cultivar na ito na mahirap hanapin.” Kaya naging viral siya, I guess. Yun, tingin ko, ang pinanggalingan ng plantito at plantita—dahil nagkainggitan tayo sa Instagram.

Aaminin ko, ako din nainggit na, “Wow nakaka…ang ganda naman ng mga dahon na yan. Paano nila na achieve yung ganyan coloration? Yung ganyang variegation?” Tingin ko, ok din yun na mas maraming tao na nagveventure out of their comfort zone yung mga, before, natatakot humawak ng halaman kasi sa…yung…mga lola at lolo lang nila yung gumagawa nun. Ngayon, mas maraminig iba-ibang generation and age ranges na natutuwang magtanim, indoor outdoor or ano man.

BRYAN:

Nakakarelate ako dun sa pagalingan sa… pagandahan ng kuha sa Instagram. Actually, hindi ako masyadong ma-indoor. Mas sa front yard namin ang mga tinatanim ko, pang kamatis, ganun, sili. So naiinggit din ako pag may mga ganun.

But siguro, gusto ko lang din tanungin si Erika. Erika, ano yung tingin mo kung sino ba tong mga plantitos and plantitas na to? Is this something na related siguro sa generation, or paano natin ma-identify or paano natin ma-classify kung sino ba yung mga plantito at plantita sa inyong opinion or observation?

ERIKA:

Sa tingin ko, yung mga plantito at plantita…matagal na sila nandito pero ngayon lang talaga nauso. Yung mga plantito/plantita yung mga may interes sa pag aalaga ng halaman. Parang minsan, mas kilala pa nila yung halaman nila kesa dun sa iba nilang mga kaibigan, mga acquaintances. Mas alam pa nila yung mga scientific names. Marami sa atin nagkaroon ng interest sa paghahalaman ngayong pandemic. Kasi syempre, wala tayong magawa sa bahay, syempre may magandang benefit yung paghahalaman.

Most of us nakita lang natin to, katulad ng sinabi ni Ms. Lee Ann, sa Instagram din and yung iba din sa influencers. Yung paghahalaman din kasi nakakatulong ngayon dahil iba yung lifestyle natin before and nakakalabas tayo. Minsan nakaka punta tayo sa hike, ganun. And yung mga plantita at plantito, sila yung hinahanap yung ganitong experience. Minsan gusto nila mag care sa plants nila or minsan gusto lang nila tingnan yung mga halaman kasi nakakabuti sa kanila

BRYAN:

Right. Erika, so yung pagaalaga ng halaman, it’s not just also about…dahil di tayo makalabas wala tayong magawa. Pero nakikita ng mga tao yung benefit nun sa pagaalaga. Like, benefit sa kanilang mental health siguro?

LEE ANN:

Oo, minsan nauubos oras ko. Nakatingin lang ako sa halaman ko. Dinidiligan ko lang bawat dahon…

BRYAN:

Nakakakalma siya noh?

LEE ANN:

…nakakalama siya eh. Oo, makakalimutan mo yung ibang problema mo. Tapos nakakatuwa rin sa pag naghahalaman ka. Nagrerepot ka tapos hawak mo yung lupa. Madumi yung kamay mo, hindi mo pwedeng hawakan yung cellphone. Pwede kang mag disconnect…

ONGGIE:

Ah right!

LEE ANN:

…from the online world. Kasi you’re in this bubble of gardening. You’re focused on what you’re doing, looking at the leaves, looking at the roots, and you’re also able to focus on smaller details na kelangan. Kung gusto mo mag zone out muna from your work you’ll focus on your plants, so it’s good for mental health.

ONGGIE:

Nabanggit mo din kanina, Lee Ann, no, na it’s almost like part of a lifestyle na ngayon. Maliban dun sa kinuwento mo kanina na nagzozone out ka na when you take care of plants—and I can identify with that…What does a typical day of a plantita look like?

LEE ANN:

Well, sa akin siguro, kailangan gumising ng medyo maaga para hindi pa masyado mainit. Maaga magsimula ang araw ng plantito/plantita lalo na kung outdoor yung mga plants. Kasi kung magigising ka ng tanghali, pawis pawis ka na and mabuti na magdilig early in the morning. Isa pang magandang reason gumising ng maaga is mas maganda yung pictures, kasi early morning sunlight diba? Yun yung way. Minsan naghahanap ka ng tamang lighting para makuha yung kintab or coloration ng leaves.

So being early in the morning…so you start your maintenance and water your plants, check on them, check if there are any insects. May time na nauubos yung oras ko sa pagtanggal lang ng caterpillars kasi nagka infestation ng caterpillars so isa isa ko silang pinipick out with my fingers kasi ayoko gumamit ng insecticide kasi parang…ano ba, magiinstecide na ba ako? Pero ayoko yung amoy na yun. Pwede pa naman isa isahin, may oras naman ako…so nakazone out ako. Nagtatanggal lang ako isa isa tas hahanapin ang mga caterpillar na kumakain ng halaman ko.

Isa pang madalas na gawin ko is magrerepot or paglipat ng halaman from small containers to larger containers. Yun ang isa sa mga pinaka time consuming—I guess—na parts of gardening: paglipat-lipat. Isa ring typical yung pagdilig at pagrepot. Isa pang naeenjoy ko na part ng pagiging plantita—I guess—is yung paggawa ko ng compost. Kasi hindi ako gumagamit ng fertilizers, kaya nagpoproduce kami ng compost dito sa farm namin gamit yung mga food waste, mga clay litter, and things like that na organic. Hinahalo ko yung compost para maerate sila. Tapos hinahanap ko yung mga worms. Minsan nilalaro ko yung worms kasi ganun ako eh—mahilig humawak ng lupa. I like doing this work of aerating compost because I get to smell the real organic, dark, and rich soil that we’re able to produce. So madalas, kapag tanghali, hindi na ako nagtatrabaho kasi ang init eh. Syempre, ano din, kelangan magpahinga.

At late in the afternoon, dun din maganda yung mag pictures kasi golden light naman ang sunset at tumutuloy rin ang trabaho sa pagdilig and things like that. Minsan umaabot ang trabaho ko ng gabi, kasi usually natatapos na by sunset kasi wala nang ilaw. I wouldn’t be able to see my plants outdoors.

But there was a time where I had to go outside during the night because there was a bug or a beetle that would only come out ng gabi. So dahil ayoko nga gumamit ng insecticide, mano mano tayong kamay. So I had a flashlight, I looked at the plants, I found them then I squished them.

So kelangan talagang dedicated ka para gumawa nung ganung effort na iisa isahin hanapin yung kung anumang critter yung may problema, or kunyari may sakit yung halaman mo, to research and look for solutions to help them go back to optimal health. Being a plantita means you sort of treat your plants as your babies. Nalilito nga yung friends ko dati kasi pag nagkwekwento ako ng “Ay yung baby ko…“ parang…ha? “My plants sorry, my plants. Hindi human baby. My plants are like this and like that.” So yun. Madalas na talagang umiikot yung mundo ko may times na umiikot yung mundo ko sa aking mga halaman. Pero ngayon, dahil recently I had a real human baby…

ONGGIE and BRYAN:

Congrats, congrats.

LEE ANN:

…hindi na ako masyado. So nagsimula na rin ako mag indoor gardening. Iba pala ang indoor gardening. Medyo mas chill siya pero also iba yung attention na kailangan kasi hinahabol mo ang sunlight ng indoor. So yun, maybe Erika, may mas alam ka sa indoor plant. Kasi ako nagsisimula palang ako sa indoor and it’s a different kind of work. It’s in a different…iba yung rewards niya, yung nasa indoor siya. So that’s a typical day I guess.

ONGGIE:

Thank you for  illustrating ano yung typical day ng isang plantita. It seems na matrabaho. It seems na maraming oras ang kailangan pero it seems na maraming rewards, ano, na makukuha. Actually napansin ko na kanina nung nagkwekwento si Lee Ann, parang same din ata ang naranasan ni Atty. T, ni Ma’am Tess. Baka pwede ka mag kwento ng konti about your…what being a plantita is, Atty. T. Go ahead.

ATTY T:

Yes, for a busy person like me, still, I can consider myself a plantita. I really wake up in the morning early, I check my plants. I have a few indoor plants. in fact, I have something here. I’m gonna show you a small one. It’s an indoor plant which I created myself. You see, it’s a proof that I am, you know, a plantita. I unfortunately…I don’t know the name of this. I just found this nakadikit sa pader. It’s just in my concrete fence…

ONGGIE:

Ah sa bakod?

ATTY T:

…yes, and it has grown really big like this. It’s called the mother plant. And I cut them one by one. This vase, it’s been with me for the longest time. I didn’t even see the purpose then. So some of my plants, I use my old vase and put some soil or either soil or water. And I have few here in my office so I wake up early, I check my plants, I check the soil if I have to water them. I even have to ask my kasambahay, “Ok I’m going away for 4 days please water my plants.”

And as I told you, I really grew up in a family. My mom is really a plant lover everywhere. So that’s why whenever I go to regions I would see to it that I would buy something—a specie of different whatever—and I’ll bring it. I’ll bring it from Manila to Mindoro. Or whenever she comes to visit me in Manila she will bring it back to our province. So that’s the way of our lives. It’s been there for the longest time. It’s not even, you know, this plantito/plantita thing.

There are already, I don’t know, what’s the term for that, ah…maybe just mahilig sa halaman. So we have a green thumb of course. I do have I think. So yun. Talagang sa gabi tinitingnan, kinakausap ko sila in fact. “O ikaw, bakit naman ang tamlay tamlay mo.” Ginaganyan ko siya because may ganito akong isa, tapos ang tamlay niya, sabi ko…linagay ko muna siya sa loob ng kusina kasi nakalagay dun sa ibabaw ng what do you call it…tukador. So furniture and nagpagawa kasi kami ng konting portion ng bahay, so linabas ko siya at nakita ko siya matamlay so “What’s wrong with you?” Tapos hinihinpu-hipu ko pa. Alam mo ang ginagawa ko pa…do you do that Lee Ann? You use oil and then I make pahid to the ano para shiny siya. Inaalisan ko siya ng alikabok. So yeah, I am!

BRYAN:

Wow, grabe talaga ang commitment.

ONGGIE:

Salamat sa pagkwento ng konti, Atty T. I’m glad na somebody that works sa ating Biodiversity Management Bureau is also a plant lover. Salamat sa pagbahagi. We talked a little bit about sourcing and natutuwa ako. Ai Atty. T actually sources from different provinces and nauuwi niya no? I’m curious paano si Lee Ann. Lee Ann, where do you get your plants or how do you source them? Siguro nung nakakapunta tayo sa bundok madali lang for wildlings? But ngayon na, I suppose we’re like…like us you’re stuck at home, how do you source your plants?

LEE ANN:

Yes, tama yan. When I was able to go out and open pa yung…nakakapag lakad pa tayo sa labas sa mga park, dun ako nag source ng seeds. Kasi since yung mga tinatanim ko mga puno, kailangan ko ng mga tree seeds so umikot ako sa UP Diliman or mga ibang campuses or sa parks or even memorial parks. Kapag may mga puno dun or even sometimes sa subdivision. Wherever there are trees, I always look up and look at what they are and see if there are seeds available. So yun yung isang source.

Pero sa mga indoor plants hindi yata pwede yun, diba? Hindi ka pwede pumulot lang. Those are seeds kasi so isa pang way to for me to find and source my seeds is through online networking or online networks that I have. May Facebook group kami na “Philippine Native Tree Enthusiasts”. Sometimes people post na “I have seeds in this province. Who wants this?” Sometimes they’re swapped. May naka-swap ako from Mindanao pa. Humingi siya ng mga plants ng seeds from Luzon, tas binigay niya ako ng seeds from Mindanao. That way we’re able to conserve these endangered species.

Sometimes they’re for sale din naman. Another way to find trees is through other nurseries. So dumadami na kahit papano mga nurseries ng native trees all over the Philippines dahil nagkakaroon na ng mas malaking awareness ng need for it and mas aware na tayo na better and native trees compared to exotics. So I’m happy that there are other nurseries that have sprouted like mine. Kaya din nagsimula yung nursery ko kasi a lot of people were saying na “Gusto namin magtanim ng puno, pero hindi namin alam kung saan hahanap.” So I started planting. Before it was just for the needs of our reforestation projects, but now it’s more in conserving what is available kasi more people need to produce these things.

But for other trees or plants na a plantita would like to get, there are sources na online na nagbebenta. Dahil nga nagkaroon ng trend na ganito na people want more pothos, mga calathea aroids, ang dami nang sellers on Instagram and on Facebook. May mga nakikita rin ako from mga barter groups na nag shashare lang. I think the best way or the best source of plants is through sharing with other people. Somebody who also knows the plants. I love it when I’m able to get a plant from somebody who grew the plant from seed and knows it pa, yung kinakausap din niya or something like that, kasi alam niya yung kelangan. And it was grown with love…

ONGGIE:

Right, right.

LEE ANN:

…so that’s the best na source—na alam mong inalagaan tong plant na to and binigay sayo, tas aalagaan mo din siya. So yun na siguro masasabi ko about sourcing.

BRYAN:

Thank you Lee Ann. Siguro tanungin din natin si Erika kung saan din niya nag sosource nung plants niya, being the owner of Pothead Manila. And Erika bakit kaya yung iba…yung ibang house plants sobrang mahal? Diba like, may mga iba na thousands talaga.

ERIKA:

Nakakagulat talaga yung mga ganung presyo. Hay. Ngayon nga ang hirap nga talaga kasi nagkakaubusan talaga ng halaman. Dati yung mga nabibiling tag-20 pesos. Di ko alam kung paano umabot sa mga tag-1,000. Mga before lockdown ganun lang yung mga range ng halaman, and yung mga pinaka mahal ko siguro na halaman before is ano…mga 6000. Yun yung Red Moon na philodendron na hybrid pa. Eh ngayon grabe, nakita ko yung ganung halaman na 25,000…di ko akalain na ganyan…

ONGGIE:

Wow.

ERIKA:

Kaya ngayon, nagpopropagate nalang kami kasi ganun nga, ang hirap mag source yung mga iba…

ONGGIE:

Yeah, mag-source.

ERIKA:

…kasi yung mga taga Manila…tsaka din kung saan-saan na din talaga umaabot ang mga plantita at plantito. Katulad nung isang customer ko gusto pang ipadala sa Davao, yung isa Cebu pa. Which is mahirap sa ibang plants and delikado din. Kasi ang tagal kong inalagaan tapos ilang years din siya bago lumaki tapos makikita mo nasa box. Pagdating sa kanila lanta na…diba ang sakit naman nun kapag nakita mo?

Kaya sa mga pag sosource din ng mga plantita siguro, siguro yung nearest nursery. Kasi yung iba naman talaga, mahirap naman sila alagaan at palakihin. At sa mga sources naman, mas maganda siguro na mag-adapt tayo dun sa ibang countries na tissue culture siguro. Yun, gawin natin kasi madali lang naman talaga. Hindi lang properly educated siguro yung iba sa atin.

ONGGIE:

Salamat Erika. I think nabanggit na several times yung plant poaching at mahalaga siguro na mapag usapan din yun. Tamang tama nandito si Atty T. Pwede niyo ba kaming bahaginan ano yung…what’s plant poaching at kung alam ba natin yung scope nitong plant poaching na tinatawag na ito? At ano yung effect nito sa ating environment, sa atin forests, at sa atin protected areas? So pasensya na sa mahabang tanong, Atty T., but maybe you can help us here. What’s plant poaching?

ATTY T:

Plant poaching is the collection or collecting, the act of collecting plants from the wild. It becomes illegal because of the lack of the permission or the lack of the permitting system that is being issued by DENR. It becomes illegal because collection is regulated. You cannot just go to the wild, to the forest, and just collect unlimitedly. There is a quota that we need to follow and, in fact, before collection there’s a need for risk assessment of the species that you wanted to collect and the area. And the actual place where you actually want to source out that kind of plants that you wanted to collect.

There are responsibilities in doing that and first is to secure permit, and first is to undergo the process of regulation, right? And when we say regulation, we should undergo risk assessments so that we can be assured of the perpetuity of the population of this certain species that you want to propagate, you know? We don’t actually prohibit propagation, actually we want that because we want perpetuity of this…of the population of every species that are threatened. But because of this we need to do it sustainably. There’s a process and there’s a…we require that that person is technically and scientifically equipped. They know how.

It’s not just like what Lee Ann, ah Erika, said na after mo alagaan ng pagkatagal-tagal it will just end up like withered plants and then it will later on die. It’s the same thing with our species from the wild. We want them to perpetuate. Want them to regenerate. Want them to really propagate and so by doing, we want them…

The act of collecting should not be detrimental to its population, so that’s why poaching is really prohibited because of doing that, that activity is unsustainable and in fact really illegal.

ONGGIE:

Salamat Atty T. Bry?

BRYAN:

Yes, Atty T. thank you. And paano natin maiinvolve ang ating public, especially yung mga interested na plantito and plantita sa mas ethical na sourcing ng plants? Ano yung mga kailagan nilang-keep in mind?

ATTY T:

For the public, and you know they can be involved in ethical sourcing mainly by being knowledgeable of the do’s and don’ts of the plants acquisition, possession, collection, and trade. Having knowledge regarding plant species that they have interest is an advantage and at the same time ensures that we are not buying a potential illegally collected plants and plant derivatives and their products. And we want to tell the public to familiarize ourselves with what plant species are common and uncommon or what plant species are threatened. And by doing so, we contribute to ethical sourcing. Additionally, we need to verify. We need to ask for information as to the source of these plants.

Being a responsible plantito/plantita should go beyond taking care or tending these plants. If you are a responsible plantito plantita, you should know the source of these plants you want to take care of. It’s the same, it’s like a person you want to be one with your family. Yeah, you don’t accept a person in the house that you don’t know. So if you’re treating them as your babies or a relative or so forth and so on, then know the plants that you are taking care of. I always notice that beauty has a responsibility. I know they are beautiful, they accentuate our our houses, our offices, and whatever private place that we have.

But we don’t wait until such time somebody else will have to come to your home and knock at your door and tell you that “Madam/sir, you are…you have in your possession illegally collected, or possessed, poached plants and they are critically endangered or endangered and vulnerable.” Especially so when someone is apprehended of transporting these threatened species and they could not show a proof of legal excision. That is already a presumption that they are poached. They were collected from the wild and without permits.

So we don’t discourage people to propagate. We don’t discourage people to collect. However, there are processes to do that, and being a responsible plantito/plantita, should conform to what are the rules and regulations being provided to us covering the management protection and regulation of our threatened species.

ONGGIE:

Thank you Atty T. Quite a comprehensive answer. Itong rules ba, eto ma’am, are these available sa ating website sa BMB? For example, I want to familiarize myself with yung guidelines na ‘to or yung requirements. Available ba ito sa BMB website?

ATTY T:

Yes sir Onggie, they are. You can actually access that in our BMB website. If you want, you can also get a hard copy here from my office. It’s Administrative Order 2004-55 and you can actually also check the sites, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species: Endangered Flora and Fauna. So you can actually access that also in our website. That is the international regulation that regulates the import export and re-export of these threatened species.

You are not prohibited from importing. You are not prohibited from exporting as long as it has permits. It’s so easy to acquire these beautiful plant species as long as they are propagated from a legal source, rom a legal farm…from other places or farms that people that you know have this permit to propagate.

You only go legal and you will have a peace of mind while taking care tending these plants that you have both. When we say plants, of course you talk about also the trees, and the flowering, and flowering plants and even the shrubs and even the moss.

Yes, so to people: let us please follow what is being regulated and in that case, we will be able to contribute to the assurance that these populations that we have in 2020 will last until the next generation, the generation of your children, and your children’s children’s generation. That is how we want to make people understand that these resources are not only for today.

This fascination about being plantito/plantita is not only for 2020 or for only for this COVID pandemic era or what-you-call-it year. For sure in 2021 our condition will improve and do we want to see that our plants have gone to extinction? And in that case, it will never be reversible. So that’s why don’t get so passionate about plantito and plantita without thinking about sustainability. Please. Yeah, I know our abilities to purchase is really strong, but please be a responsible plantito/plantita.

ONGGIE:

Thank you Atty T, ano. Maganda yung reminders sa atin ni Atty T. As parting words, maybe we can ask for words din from Eirka. And then last but not the least, si Lee Ann. So Erika, and also talking about…

BRYAN:

…your nursery sige.

ONGGIE:

Erika please.

ERIKA:

Sa mga buyers, dapat siguraduhin nila kung reputable yung sellers na yung ethical collection/established propagation practices yung ginagawa nila. Kasi uso nga ngayon yung online selling. Yung iba, wala pa talaga ugat binebenta nila. Kaya dapat magtanonog sila bago sila bumili.

Kasi halimbawa, tinransport niyo from Laguna to Manila yung iba. Sigurado yung mga walang ugat lanta na pagdating dun. And pwede naman natin maiwasan mamatay yung mga halaman na yon kung hindi naman… kung established naman yung mga plant na binebenta natin. Yun nga sinabi ni ma’am, dapat aware tayo sa mga existing na species and yung mga endangered and threatened kasi sa mga plant collectors naman andaming plants.

Hindi naman ibig sabihin na madaming plants, lahat ng plants, kokolektahin natin. Dapat alam din natin na meron pang continuance yung mga buhay ng mga to, kaya dapat, as much as possible i-conserve natin to.

Sa mga buyers ulit, educate natin yung sarili natin kung kaya ba natin alagaan tong mga halaman. Kasi mostly sa Manila, sobrang init din, yung iba sobrang closed ng pinalalagyan katulad ng mga condominiums na hindi naman nakakahinga yung mga halaman natin na sobrang iba dun sa pinanggalingan ng halaman. Kaya dapat meron tayong mga tools and yung environment nakakaayon din sa mga pinanggalingan ng halaman natin.

Sa mga sellers, dapat marunong din tayong magpropagate and respect natin yung biodiversity. Kasi yun nga, di naman ibig sabihin na madaming demand—di ibig sabihin nun na pagsamantahalan natin yung demand na yun. Kasi, tayo, nandito tayo sa generation na kailangan din natin alagaan yung iba pa. Mga susunod na generation.

Kasi nga ngayon pandemic, di mo rin sigurado yung buhay, diba? Edi paano pa kaya sa mga susunod na generation, ano pang makikita nila kung inuubos na natin yung mga nakikita natin ngayon? Kaya dapat, sa mga sellers ng mga halaman, dapat may busines model kayo na may tamang propagation. Dapat efficient and yung pag collect ng materials siguro, dapat as much as possible authorized and hindi yung mga nakikita natin na illegal sa online na galing sa mga bundok talaga.

And yung mga endangered or yung mga threatened siguro, as much as possible, hayaan na natin dun sa mga bundok kasi endangered na nga sila, kukuhaninn mo pa. Mas mabuting palaguin natin sila para makarami sa kanila. And kung marunong naman tayo, as much as possible mag tissue culturing tayo. Kasi through that, makakatulong din tayo magparami pang specie na yun.

ONGGIE:

Wow. Well said, Erika. Well said. Thank you. Sigro ang huli nating hihingian ng kanyand words, ano, for what it takes to be a responsible plantita—Lee Ann, please.

LEE ANN:

Siguro madadagdag ko lang is sana hindi lang maging trend ito na sa ngayon lang. Like sabi ni Erika…

ONGGIE:

Tama, tama.

LEE ANN:

…kung piliin natin tong lifestyle na makatulong siya sa mental health natin, kung makatulong siya sa ating beautification ng bahay natin, o ano mang lugar…go continue with it. Go with it. Spend wisely.

Sabi nga ni Erika: hindi kelangan kolektahan lahat and di porket meron yung influencer na yon ng napaka-rare na plant na yon, kelangan makuha mo rin siya. Maraming halaman, sabi nga ni Erika. Sobrang daming halaman na pwedeng kolektahin. Wag natin maliitin yung mga common plants, yung mga san siveria. Mga halaman parin siya and it just takes some styling sometimes or actually…kahit hindi styling. Minsan hindi lang natin napapansin dahil marami siya…dahil readily available siya, feeling natin hindi siya valuable. But even a simple mother in law’s tongue can make a room look good. Wag natin maliitin yung mga common plants at wag natin masyadong sambahin yung mga sobrang rare na plants kasi yun nga, baka maubos na sila.

Galing sa bundok kasi. The demand is really fueling the poaching, I think. Dahil nakikita nila, “Ah bumibili sila ng ganitong presyo.” Edi kahit na alam nilang illegal, gagawin nila na hanapin yun sa bundok diba? So if we kind of…hinaan natin yung demand or let’s not give in to these high prices. Let’s think rationally. Ano ba ang rightful price ng mga bagay na yan? Is it overly expensive? Will it drive the industry mad, diba?

So gusto rin yung sinabi ni Erika na tissue culture. Sa ibang bansa yan yung common or the usual way that nurseries propagate these plants. So even if there’s a large demand, the nurseries can supply them. So they don’t need to poach from forests and there is enough supply na hindi tataas yung price. Hindi siya rare, hindi siya nagiging rare. So this is what we need to do: follow the trend that’s going on in Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries. We have great weather, we have lots of people, we have lots of space. We just need—maybe, hopefully—some funding from the govt to help start it up. Kasi hindi siya simple gawin eh. It’s very tedious.

I tried doing propagation of a fern recently dahil wala akong magawa ngayong pandemic and nakaproduce ako ng…I think I will be able to produce 1,000 pieces of bird’s nest fern, so yun. Kelangan lang natin gawin na mas paramhin yung mga plants para hindi na masyado mataas yung presyo and everybody can have the plants that we want. So let’s continue this plantita trend. Let’s all enjoy our plants.

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BRYAN:

Alright. Andami kong natutunan, Onggie, sa conversation natin with Erika, with Lee Ann, and Atty T.

I like yung idea of how ethical sourcing melds doon sa sustainability. That by learning where our plants come from, where we buy, them contributes to a sense of sort of shared responsibility towards a better act of caring. At binanggit natin na naging trend siya or phenomenon ang pagiging plant parents. Etong emergence ng plantito and plantita in the time of pandemic and because of community quarantines.

But the way I see it, based sa conversation din natin, Onggie, with our guests…it seems to me that it’s also a way of life. Yung tending of soil, becoming more present when gardening, rediscovering yung value and beauty of common plants, and how all these enliven yung connection with plant species and yung pag cultivate ng greater and better community of plants and people in general.

ONGGIE:

I agree with you, Bry, ano. Marami talagang iba-ibang benefits ang nakukhuha natin sa pagtatanim and pagaalaga ng halaman.

Clear, for example, na plants contribute to human wellbeing. It connects us to our family, connects us to nature. For me and for most of us, I think na can be considered plantitos or plantitas, the act of planting and the act of taking care of plants connects us to nature connects us to ourselves in a deeper manner.

BRYAN:

Thank you so much ulit. And that concludes our very meaningful discussion on “How to be a Responsible Plantito and Plantita.” Thank you very much, Lee Ann, Erika, and Atty T. for your time and expertise in this discussion.

ONGGIE:

Maraming salamat ulit!

Note: This transcript has been edited for brevity and clarity.