Saturday August 31, 2002
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Green Romblon: The Flowers and Trees of Romblon
Text and Photos by Aline Parrone
Special to Sanrokan.com
 

If there is one thing first time visitors to Romblon will notice, it is how green it is.

Well, maybe not all. There are also many signs of deforestation, like in some places in Romblon Island. The RDL-CLEAR for instance sponsored a tree planting activity some years back at Mt. Calvary that overlooks the Romblon town.

But generally and comparatively speaking, Romblon is much greener than many places in the country. The forest cover and mangrove stands in Sibuyan Island is impressive by Philippine standards. There are many experts who are aware of this and one is Genevieve Broad who is a British marine biologist for the Volunteer Services Organization (VSO) who has organized last May 2002, an environmental youth camp funded by an Asian-based organization under the International Maritime Office. Nineteen participants came from different schools in Manila and joined by 4 local youths from Sibuyan. By next year, a similar camp will be conducted and some youths from Thailand and Indonesia are expected to join in. The VSO is also conducting a coastal zone management program in Sibuyan Island with Magdiwang-based volunteer Isabel Ishawood overlooking it.

I also had a fun time taking photos of the flowers in the different places I went to. Here are some I would like to share with you.
 
The thick mangrove stands in Sibuyan Island (Magdiwang town) seems to serve as an impregnable wall to Mt. Guiting-guiting behind it.


  Dense forest cover is evident in this hill that forms part of the ridges of Mt. Guiting-Guiting.

A shot of a mangrove "tree". Notice the extended 'stilt-like" roots of this bakawan that is characteristic of this species. This tree also has beautiful, attractive red flowers. Romblon is lucky to have many of these mangroves still intact, unlike in many areas of the country which has long harvested them as its high combustibility makes it a favorite firewood). Mangroves as we know are important in maintaining ecological balance as it acts as nursery for fingerlings and also serve as barrier from strong waves from seas and prevent soil erosion.
 
In many schools in Romblon, one would notice that it is located in an open flat land surrounded by hills. The Romblon National High School is one.

  Another building of Romblon National High School
Romblon, Romblon
 
Another example of a hill-surrounded school is Libtong Elementary School in Banton. This is where the raffia weaving center aimed to revive this dying art of the local women is located. The center produces placemats, hats, bags, etc painstakingly handwoven. See Weavers of Banton.






   So is Banton Central Elementary School with two alumni from two different generations, Philip Fetalvero and Ismael Fabicon. Hills are behind the schoolbuildings in the background.
FLOWERS OF ROMBLON
Varied-colored bougainvilleas adorn the fence of the ancestral house of
of the Musico family (Banton, Romblon)
 
Native roses bring life and color to an unfinished concrete fence (Romblon, Romblon)

   Light purple vorboena
Romblon, Romblon
 
Bandera Española (Banton, Romblon)


   Colored Santans or Sta. Anas (Banton, Romblon)
 
White santans/Sta. Ana (Banton, Romblon)



  A wild plant growing off an old wall by the streets of Romblon town catches attention of passers-by with its tiny purple flowers.
 
Meeting VSO vounteer and marine biologist Gen Broad on the ferry from Romblon to Sibuyan was a pleasant surprise and learning we have 'met' online on an internet mailing list (Bicol) a couple of years ago was even more remarkable. Small world! :-) Ms. Broad book, a first definitive and fully illustrated fish identification book in the Philippines is due to come out in a few months time.





   The author doing her bit for the environment: planting pili tree in Banton, Romblon.
About the Author:

Aline Parrone says "once an environmentalist, always an environmentalist" and flowers are not bad either! :-) On a stop-over at the Mt. Guiting-Guiting National Park, Magdiwang, Sibuyan Island. >>>>>>