On 11 February 2026, the Makiling Botanic Gardens (MBG) hosted distinguished officials from the Embassy of Norway to various ASEAN Member States and the Mission of Japan to ASEAN, led by His Excellency Mr. Yonetani Koji, alongside representatives from the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines. Accompanied by the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB), the delegation was welcomed by Makiling Center for Mountain Ecosystems Director, Dr. Lerma SJ. Maldia, and University Researcher, For. Leilani A. Castillo. Foresters Angela Limpiada and Alexis John Fajardo led a guided tour that showcased the MBG as a vital repository of native and endemic flora within the Mount Makiling Forest Reserve (MMFR).
This engagement underscored the MBG’s mandates in education, research, and conservation. Furthermore, the visit highlighted MMFR’s designation as an ASEAN Heritage Park in 2013, reaffirming its role as a cornerstone of regional biodiversity stewardship and a platform for strengthening international partnerships in environmental diplomacy. (Article by For. Alexis Fajardo, photo courtesy of the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity)