This month, the Makiling Botanic Gardens features a plant that embodies the remarkable diversity of Philippine flora: pingol-bato (Begonia nigritarum (Kamel) Steud.), a stunning endemic begonia that has served both culinary and medicinal purposes for generations. Where It Grows Pingol-bato is a creeping plant that grows in moist or damp …
If you’ve ever walked along the streams and rivers of Mount Makiling, you might have caught a glimpse of what looks like a tiny crocodile darting across the rocks or slipping into the water. Don’t be alarmed—you’ve just encountered one of the Philippines’ most fascinating endemic reptiles: the Spiny Waterside …
Students from the Batangas State University, Lobo Campus, embarked on an educational tour at the Makiling Botanic Gardens (MBG) on 04 December 2025. This activity was part of their experiential learning visit in their forestry course to deepen their appreciation and understanding of the natural resources as a source of …
On 03 December 2025, students from the Penology and Corrections Administration at Camp Vicente Lim in Calamba, Laguna, visited the Makiling Botanic Gardens (MBG). They were oriented by Foresters Angela Limpiada and Alexis Fajardo, who provided information about the Mount Makiling Forest Reserve ASEAN Heritage Park (MMFR AHP) as well …
On November 28, 2025, Makiling Botanic Gardens welcomed senior high school students from Chiang Kai Shek School in Tondo, Manila, for an experiential learning opportunity. Their visit was designed to enhance their understanding of natural resources as discussed in their environmental science class. Foresters Angela Limpiada and Alexis Fajardo provided …
Walk through the primary forests of Mount Makiling at low to medium elevations, and you might encounter a glossy-leaved shrub bearing clusters of fragrant whitish-pink flowers or striking dark purple berries. This is tagpo (Ardisia elliptica Thunb.), our featured Plant of the Month—a species that beautifully illustrates how a single …