Museums, gardens, zoos, and wildlife breeding centers in the Philippines Item Type article Authors Bagarinao, Teodora Uy Download date 05/10/2021 10:36:15 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/1834/35174 Nature matters the AQD Museum and Biodiversity Garden, and the Environment Action Group Museums, gardens, zoos, and wildlife breeding centers in the Philippines By Teodora Bagarinao, PhD species of birds, 2433 mollusks, 93 corals, Philippines (UP) in Diliman and the Museo AQD Scientist and Museum Curator 86 crustaceans, 469 fishes, 2945 insects, de Oro at Xavier University. Museums and many others. The National Herbarium about indigenous peoples and cultures are Non-formal environment education contains about 130,000 mounted plant in fact biodiversity displays. through nature recreation is an effective specimens. Museums of the natural history type means toward the 'greening' of the hearts, The National Museum has both the are not numerous and these are mostly run the minds, and the spirit of the citizens so cultural and natural treasures to be proud by universities for instruction and research. that they act in favor of biodiversity con- of, but does not have enough political sup- The Museum of Arts and Sciences at the servation. This article describes the status port and funds to carry out scientific re- University of Santo Tomas started in 1682 of various biodiversity exhibits and con- search, nor space and technical expertise with the collection and classification of servation centers in the country and urges to properly display its collections. Filipi- Philippine flora and fauna, and now it is both the government and the private sector nos who have visited the national muse- crammed with stuffed mammals, birds, and to invest in more of these, especially in pro- ums in other Asian countries and in reptiles. The UP-Los Baños Museum of grams to reach and involve the people. America and Europe can only feel frus- Natural History is a repository and exhibit Good biodiversity exhibits and conserva- trated, even ashamed, about the dismal state of the flora and fauna of Mt. Makiling, in- tion centers require funds, space, skilled of the National Museum of the Philippines. cluding 285 families of insects, 709 gen- and dedicated technicians, scientists, and Recently, a beautifully illustrated book era of fungi, 1200 species of forest plants artists, and the commitment and support of Treasures of the Philippine National Mu- including rare ferns, and Dioscoro Rabor's the government, the local communities, seum has been published to build greater collection of land vertebrates. The Marine educational institutions, and the private public support. Plans have also been an- Science Institute of UP-Diliman maintains sector. nounced for a National Gallery of Arts and the Velasquez Phycological Herbarium. Culture that will be finished in time for the The natural science museums of the UP- 100th anniversary of Philippine independ- Visayas, University of San Carlos, Silliman Museums ence in 1998. University, and Visayas State College of The National Museum of the Philippines Most museums in the Philippines to- Agriculture have sizeable collections of was established in 1901 as the primary re- day are exhibits of the arts, culture, anthro- marine animals, vertebrates, and insects, pository and custodian of cultural treasures pology, and history of the Philippines or but the displays need to be improved to be and biological collections from all over the its many regions, such as the Metropolitan appreciated by the public. The Aga Khan archipelago. It is mandated to be a research Museum of Manila, Philippine Museum of Museum of the Mindanao State University institution and a showcase for the entertain- Ethnology, Ayala Museum, Museo Iloilo, has collections of the flora and fauna of ment and education of the public (Fr. Museo Dabao, Museo Pambata, and vari- Lanao Lake and the surrounding watershed, Gabriel Casal, Director, National Museum, ous art galleries in large cities. Banawe but does little to promote public under- personal communication). Aside from the Museum houses some of the collections and standing of the ecosystem. permanent exhibits, film shows, slide pres- the personal artifacts including the ornate entations, and lectures are provided for chil- The International Rice Research Insti- wooden house of the anthropologist H. dren, students, and the general public. Most tute in Los Baños, Laguna opened in 1994 Otley Beyer, who married into and lived of the art, anthropological, cultural, and the IRRI Riceworld, a visitors' learning among the Ifugaos and first brought the historical collections have their own exhibit center about rice production and research Banawe rice terraces to international atten- rooms, but the natural science collections and the importance of rice to global food tion. Several universities operate cultural are just in the corridors, looking old and production. IRRI Riceworld has exhibits museums open to the public, for example, shabby. The pre-war biological collections that explain the importance of friendly in- the Museum of Anthropology and the of the National Museum were all destroyed, sects in controlling rice pests, the value of Vargas Museum at the University of the but the post-war materials now include 527 next page SEAFDEC Asian Aquaculture Volume XIX No. 4 October 1997 9 nature matters / bagarinao The AQD Museum and Biodiversity Garden attract and entertain visitors, mostly students. Museum collection includes deep sea fishes from the Philippine Trench; mangrove fishes from Quezon; coral reef fishes from Pangasinan; and molluscs from Ifugao, Sorsogon and other places. conserving rice seeds to maintain genetic and aquarium to be called Fishworld. tanical garden. UP-Los Baños maintains diversity, and why scientists are looking at There are also privately owned natu- the Makiling Botanic Garden and the role of methane emissions from ral history museums open to the public. In Hortorium that preserve the waterways and ricefields in global warming. Riceworld Cebu, the Julian Jumalon family operates natural forest growths, and the Microbio- was designed with children in mind and was the Butterfly Museum, with butterflies and logical Culture Collection. Many other made possible with a US$80,000 grant paintings made of butterfly wings on dis- universities and agricultural colleges in the from the German Technical Cooperation play, amid a sanctuary-garden of butterflies Philippines have small botanical gardens, Agency. and food plants. The Carfel Seashell Mu- plant nurseries, and arboretums, mostly for The SEAFDEC Aquaculture Depart- seum in Manila published the book Shells instruction and research but also for public ment inaugurated in 1993 the AQD Mu- of the Philippines. viewing and enjoyment. The University of seum, a collection and exhibit of fishes, An important aid to biodiversity re- Santo Tomas has started a project to turn crustaceans, mollusks, corals, other marine search and conservation efforts is a good the campus into a botanical garden that will invertebrates, and seaweeds. The AQD computerized database. For example, the serve as repository of endemic and endan- Museum holds reference specimens of International Center for Living Aquatic gered flora, a sanctuary for birds and in- shrimps, fish larvae and juveniles, and Resources Management (ICLARM) in sects, a resource for teaching, research, and mangrove fishes from completed studies. Manila has put together FishBase and recreation for the university, and as 'green A botanical garden has been annexed to ReefBase on CD-ROM now available to lungs' for part of Metro Manila. show off plant biodiversity. The AQD researchers. The International Rice Research Insti- Museum and Biodiversity Garden aims to tute is committed to the conservation of rice be an educational exhibit for the public, Botanical gardens, genetic resources and maintains a gene particularly school children, and a labora- bank with 70,000 seed accessions (as of tory for undergraduate and graduate stu- arboretums, and plant 1991) for both IRRI research staff and dents in natural history. But there is not nurseries outside users worldwide. enough room for the displays and hardly Botanical gardens are museums without The Department of Environment and any students interested in natural history walls whose mission is the cultivation and Natural Resources (DENR) maintains a and systematics. Currently, SEAFDEC study of the diversity of plants. The Phil- AQD is making plans for a larger museum ippines now does not have a national bo- page 32 10 SEAFDEC Asian Aquaculture Vol XIX No. 4 October 1997 jumper page nature matters ... from page 10 Commercial plant nurseries propagat- crocodile, Palawan pheasant, Palawan bear ing many varieties of orchids, bromeliads, cat, porcupine, as well as marine turtles, anthuriums, heliconias, roses, ferns, palms giant clams, and dugong. The government 111-ha mangrove reserve in Pagbilao Bay, and other ornamentals are veritable now spends about P4 million on Calauit, southern Luzon, where research and experi- biodiversity exhibits. Nurseries for fruit whose management has been contracted to mental plantings are carried out by schools and hardwood trees are also becoming more a non-government organization. and by local and international private foun- numerous. Plant nurseries and the The conservation of the Philippine ea- dations. The Pagbilao secondary-growth cutflower business are growing strong in gle Pithecophaga jeffreyi was given impe- forest contains a