PHILIPPINE NATIVE TREES 101

This book was written as a tribute to our native trees and to encourage their use. By using native trees in our urban areas where half of our people dwell, we bring to the attention and appreciation of Filipinos the beauty and bounty of our natural heritage. Since not everyone may have the chance to visit our trees in their natural wild settings, living with them in our cities is the next best thing. By surrounding ourselves with our brother trees, sister flowers, cousin butterflies and all other Pinoy relatives, we ensure their continued existence and actually, the richness of our own.
     The Philippines is universally viewed as a country that has an unmatchable variety of flora and fauna. This is the consensus among scientists using different formulas for determining biodiversity index. This belief is shared by plant hobbyists and definitely, by those who live close to nature and use its many gifts for their needs. Per hectare our country probably harbors more species than any other place on Earth. The Philippines boasts of 3,600 identified native trees. Of these, 67% are endemic, found only in our archipelago.
--From the PREFACE by Angelina P. Galang, Ph.D., President, Green Convergence for Safe Food, Healthy Environment and Sustainable Economy
PHILIPPINE NATIVE TREES 101 is a joint project of Green Convergence for Safe Food, Healthy Environment and Sustainable Economy, Hortica Filipina Foundation, Inc., and The BINHI Project of the Energy Development Corporation