Pili: Bicol's Heritage Flora

"If forests were not disturbed, this would

have been the safest place to permanently

keep these valuable plant resources."

                    -Roberto E. Coronel, foremost fruit scientist of Asia                
                 

A volunteer Pili tree standing tall along with coconut trees in a farm located in the fringes of Mount Bulusan.

A very strong argument on why the rainforest of Bulusan must be preserved is the definitive scientific paper on Pili authored by Roberto E. Coronel. This study (1996) was made possible by the Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research, Gatersleben/International Plant Genetic Resources Institute,Rome, Italy. The study aims to promote the conservation and use of Pili.

Buttressed trunks of Pili trees are most adapted to typhoons. Pili is a resilient plant antedating climate change adaptation.

The stony shell of  the Pili  nut is not a problem in Bulusan. The 'paratilad' or manual de-shellers can retrieve the kernels within seconds by using only a simple bolo.

Part of the study reads:

"Origin and geographic distribution:

The pili is indigenous to the Philippines (Merrill 1912, 1923; Wester 1921; Brown 1954; Li 1970). The crop’s centre of genetic diversity is the Bicol region, possibly in the virgin rainforests surrounding Mt. Bulusan, in the Province of Sorsogon. In the forests of this province, very old pili nut trees measuring more than 50 m in height can still be found today." 

The pulp of the ripe pili  fruits are also source of food  and oil. But the kernels are the most prized.

The planned conversion of the surroundings of Mount Bulusan into a Geothermal Field zone will alter irrevocably the natural habitat chosen by the Pili in its course of evolution that probably took million of years to complete. The species' choice of place is a cocktail mix of many variables : volcanic heat, heavy dose of rainfall, tropical Pacific Ocean, dense rainforest and just being in the right geographical location preferred by the pili.

Pili resin is internationally known as Manila elemi, ingredient for perfumes and pharmaceuticals and  recently for beauty products.

Pili was aptly described  as growing "at the heart of the Pacific Ocean, the island of Luzon..." by an international beauty product ad. The product utilizes the manila elemi, the resin from the pili tree as an ingredient. It highlighted the place of origin of the natural plant resource--the Philippines.

This and many others international recognitions underscore the importance of the Pili as an indigenous plant. And thus, Mount Bulusan being the keeper of the Pili's original genetic pool needs utmost vigilance from the continued threat of 'industrial development' to guarantee that the Pili of the ovatum kind will continue to flourish in perpetuity.

The eminent scientist, Doctor Roberto E. Coronel articulated the following in one of his seminar lectures:

Biodiverslty Conservation Systems

 In Situ Conservation

- All fruits and nuts have evolved as plant

species in the forests.

-If  forests were not disturbed, this would
have been the safest place to permanently
keep these valuable plant resources.

Photos by Alma P. Gamil
Bulusan, Sorsogon