The Southeast Asian Nila: Contested Floral Toponyms of Manila for Furthering Asean Integration

Abstract

Out of the 25 acknowledged centers of biodiversity in the world, four can be found in Southeast Asia: Indo-Burma, Sundaland, Wallacea, and the Philippines In these four biodiversity centers, some 50,000 plant species have been identified, and this is equivalent to one-sixth of the world’s total plant species. These four centers of biodiversity, combined, amount to a total of some 4.5 million square kilometers, or about three percent of the Earth’s land area. If one is to consider that this is such a small space in the total land area of the world, it is amazing to note that such a small space can contain some twenty-five percent of all the Earth’s higher plant species. (Myers, et al., 2000) One cannot speak of sustainable development without being consciously aware of the wealth of biodiversity in the Southeast Asian region. Also, discussions on sustainable development vis-avis the debate on climate change and urban growth should include a discourse on how crucial is biodiversity to heritage valuation and efforts for conservation. (Jin, X.H., et. al., 2018) A value we put on heritage and its conservation can be weighed - independently or jointly - through various symbols and representations. One example in which this is viewed jointly is found in the case of place names or toponyms. Place names depict biocultural landscapes that have played host to frequent human activities and interactions. These may point to a cultural practice that may be a result of an exchange of goods, trade, or migration. (Achanzar-Labor, 2023; Radding and Western, 2010) Hence, in discussing toponyms, biodiversity and heritage meet in a nexus. This paper shall present two plants native to most parts of Southeast Asia that are considered as a possible basis for the toponym of the city of Manila, the capital of the Philippines. The discussion on the first plant will show that this particular specie used to abundantly flourish in Manila until urbanization and development impacted biodiversity in the area. There is hope, though, in the efforts of the local government of Manila with its advocacy to revive the plant as it seeks to increase pride of place, conscious of that part of her material and biocultural heritage which befell utter destruction as the battle for Manila raged cruelly during World War II. Another type of plant will be presented in the paper as a potential platform to unify and integrate the Southeast Asian region through a collective affirmation of the plant’s economic and sociocultural values.