Going Native: Sustaining Philippine Natural Heritage
Greenbelt Park
Through the years, Ayala Land has deepened its understanding of native plants and recognizes the importance of landscaping with the right plant or tree species in its developments. Employing a scientific approach to sustainability, Ayala Land uses indigenous plants for its developments and continuously works with experts in Philippine native plants.
“In addition to providing an aesthetically pleasing landscape, our approach is also based on scientific findings on what will best keep the ecosystem balanced, which is the key to sustainability”, said Gilbert Berba, Ayala Land Planning Group Head of Operations.
To share its distinctive approach to sustainability, Ayala Land, through Ayala Malls, launched Lov’em Blooms to showcase 20 Philippine orchid species and five ornamental plants across its various shopping malls nationwide.
Dita trees at Serendra in BGC
“Showcasing the Philippines’ native flora is one way of sharing with our countrymen our natural heritage even in an urban setting. At the end of the day, we want people to live in a place that promotes a healthy lifestyle through sustainable green living,” added Berba.
About 60 to 80 percent of the trees planted in new large-scale Ayala Land developments are native. To date, the company has planted more than 60,000 native trees in Nuvali, Ayala Land’s flagship eco-community in Laguna. Thousands more are planted in other developments.
Ayala Land has been landscaping with native plants and has been an active partner of the Philippine Native Plants Conservation Society (PNPCSI) in activities that advocate the use of native plants such as tree walks held in Ayala Malls. It has also been working with Filipino landscape architects and scientists to continuously determine the best native species that will work in urban landscapes. To ensure a sustainable supply, it has established native plant nurseries in its communities.
“We hope our approach transforms people’s views about Philippine plants and urban landscapes that are truly appropriate for our geography and climate, and are therefore more resilient. Native plants also create a natural habitat for birds, butterflies and most especially, provide a refreshing environment where we people can live healthy, thus, live well,” Berba said.
Among the company’s initial plant palette, made up of 75 indigenous tree species from 38 plant families, are the beautiful and sturdy Dita (Alstonia scholaris), the hardy Bitaog (Calophyllum blancoi), the stately Bagras (Eucalyptus deglupta), the striking Siar (Peltophorum pterocarpum). Ayala Land also identifies native trees that grow naturally in new developments and recommends that these should be utilized by landscapers and designers as much as possible. In this way, Philippine native species are given the necessary attention to make sure that these will thrive for many years and benefit more generations.
