RAFI Native Tree Nursery

By CESAR STEFAN RAGO, RAFI intern
September 26, 2013

CEBU CITY – The Native Trees Nursery of Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI) envisions to be a repository of the endemic trees in the Philippines as well as a venue of learning for students and professionals, especially environmentalists.

Over the years, the RAFI nursery has gained a lot of recognition from different agencies, including the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

As of March 2013, the 8,000 sq. m. nursery houses 185 native tree species with an overall seedling total of 125,873. The propagation process of the nursery depends upon the availability of seeds and wildlings.

Among these species, the following have the highest seedling count: tsa, puso-puso, lanutan, amugis/sambolauan, malaruhat, bakan, kulatingan, nato, banilad, and malabakhaw. These are species available throughout the year.

The flowering season of trees vary per specie. The dipterocarp species, for instance, only flowers once in seven years. Examples of which are the Philippine mahogany group, which comprises of the following: white lauan, red lauan, mayapis, apitong, palosapis, narig, quisumbing, gisok, almon, yakal, yakal-malibato, guijo, manggachapui, mangasinoro, and yakal-kaliot. This group is also one of the nursery's best-sellers.

Its other best-selling seedlings include kaningag (also known as Cebu cinnamon, which is only found in Cebu); narra; molave; and other premium hardwood, fruit trees such as nangka, guyabano, and caimito which are classified as dipterocarp species.

The species found in the nursery were collected from across the country. Last March, four new species, namely Palawan cherry, tindalo, lychee, and magkono were purchased from a nursery in Bohol.

To further promote its environmental advocacy, RAFI dreams to be the first to create a living plant museum in the Philippines.