UNP Historic Rotor Residence
"This residence is a unique blend of architectural history and artistic expression, offering a glimpse into the family's appreciation for nature and the arts." - UNP
San Vicente, Ilocos Sur
The Rotor family's "Living with Nature" Residence by the University of Northern Philippines (UNP) is a testament to the family's deep connection with nature and the arts.
The residence, constructed in 1903, was originally a composite ordinary residence and has since been transformed into an art gallery that reflects Dr. Abercio V. Rotor's respect for the natural world and the arts.
The house features imaginative paintings of nature and retains its original historical elements, such as bricked columns and beams. The ground floor includes spaces for the winery company, kitchen, dining, and various store rooms and bedroom spaces, while the upper floor serves as a gallery.
This residence is a unique blend of architectural history and artistic expression, offering a glimpse into the family's appreciation for nature and the arts. ~
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ANNEX 1 - Features of the Living with Nature Center, 2026 ANNEX 2 - A Tour at the Living with Nature Center
ANNEX 3 - Heritage Basi Wine Industry
ANNEX 4 - Arboretum - Microcosm of a Tropical Forest
ANNEX 5 - MMSU Students Visit the Living with Nature Center
in Search of the Evolution of Art
ANNEX 6 - Living with Nature at Home. "Nature is not a place to visit, it is home."
"The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science." - Albert Einstein
ANNEX 1
Features of the Living with Nature Center, 2026
Dr Abe V Rotor
Founder and Head, Living with Nature Center
Visit avrotor.blogspot.com and Naturalism – the Eighth Sense
Contact – 09954672990
20 FEATURES
Orientation Outline
1. Renovated old home
(survived typhoons, earthquakes, other calamities, WWII) for four generations.
2. San Vicente Botanical Garden – living gene bank, shrine, outdoor classroom.
3. Living with Nature (Center), advocacy, hands-on, on-site learning
4. Community-based (visits, tours, workshops, research, practicum)
5. Refuge (respite, retirement, recuperation, balikbayan, childhood experience)
French and Belgian tourists lead house guests in January 2026
6. EcoSanctuary - Wildlife habitat, orchard, open field, local ecosystems
7. Natural for healthy and happy living (food, air, herbals, pets, sense of freedom)
8. Family museum (library, archive, souvenirs, achievements, paraphernalia)
CEO of a local tourist group poses with author, examines a deer head on the wall.
9. “The Morning After Syndrome” - preparedness for the worst upheaval (COVID-19)
10. Exodus from the City (reversal from traffic, congestion, high cost of living)
NCCA (National Commission for Culture and Arts) executive and LGU (Local Government Unit) guides; UNP coed displays a relief religious art work made of recycled materials.
Author (left) presents painting and a book (Living with Nature in Our Home and Community) he wrote as gifts to Fr Mars Tan, president of Xavier University, on the latter's visit to the author's home in San Vicente, Ilocos Sur in 2024. Right photo, Japanese guest Takehito Kabayashi (center) poses with author at the Living with Nature Library.
11. Right brain shift (creativity, hobbies, nature-friendly)
12. Integrated and holistic (The Humanities, back-to-basics, skills development)
13. You are not alone (“So far yet so near,” the world at the living room)
"Education breeds confidence. Confidence breeds hope.
Hope breeds peace." – Confucius
DepEd Kidapawan educators and teachers visit the Living with Nature Center
Old friends and acquaintances, professionals in various fields pose at the Center's garden.
14. Ecological prayer (Love God through Nature, Nature is God’s greatest gift)
15. Don’t be a victim of Instant Syndrome (DiY, home garden, cookbook)
UNP University of Northern Philippines) students study plant specimens with author..
16. Save, save from impulse buying, planned obsolescence, ostentatious living.
17. Be simple and practical (countryside living, bayanihan, kamag-anak)
Bible month (January 2026) poster making student-contestants display their final works before their parents, teachers and church leaders. Contestants come from 3 local school SVIS (San Vicente Integrated School), SSNHS (San Sebastian National High School), EMES (Ermita-Mindoro Elementary School)
18. The golden years of life (It’s not too late, you are missing life itself)
19. Yes, you can paint, cook, build your home, do the things you dreamed of.
20. Search for the meaning of life (Learn from Victor Frankl, Schweitzer, Rizal)
Bible month poster making contests candid views
Globally linked on the Internet avrotor.blogspot.com and Naturalism – the Eighth Sense in 6000 articles to date. Search topic, download, print for your educational use in your school, community, and organization. Linked with 14 books written by AV Rotor, Bannawag magazine, (Okayka Apong), Radyo Katipunan Ateneo de Manila University, Usapang Bayan, Radyo ng Bayan, other websites. Welcome to the Living with Nature Center, San Vicente, Ilocos Sur. Contact – 09954672990
ANNEX 2
A Tour at the Living with Nature Center
San Vicente, Ilocos Sur
Part 1 - Art Gallery and Museum
UNP Coeds Visit the Living with Nature Center
Dr Abe V Rotor
Nature's art. A driftwood in the shape of a blackbird,
reminiscent of Noah's Ark story - an emissary he sent to check the flood but didn't return. He sent another, this time a dove, the universal symbol of peace today.
Catch the fish if you can on the wall, painted into a mural depicting
the enigma of the bottom of the sea, for lack of knowledge seemingly
lifeless, yet full of life and challenge to the scientist.
Springs and waterfalls gently flowing open like curtain of a stage
revealing a beautiful landscape, subject of poetry, music, myths
and legends.
Painted broken jars given a second life, function to aesthetics, in our search for beauty and meaning of material things in our wastefulness and affluent living - brokenness after all is transformation, so with life.
Petrified wood of a primitive tree traces path of evolution and biodiversity; pyroclastic rock from Mt Pinatubo's 1991 eruption, link of past and present, reality and fantasy, nature and man.
A dragon emerges from a broken jar transforms into a myth in like manner dragons once walked the earth; burial jar fragments of an indigenous culture destined to the museum and archive.
UNP Coeds 5 trek the edge of the sea; frame a wall of cataract in
make-believe mural painted by the author. ~
Part 2 - The Living with Nature Center Library
Collection of Books and References
Part 3 - Rock Collection: Study and Hobby
Petrified or fossilized wood. Carbon dating process traces the origin, age, and habitat of the specimen. Resin, exudate of Pine tree undergoing metamorphism into amber
Aggregate rocks in various compositions and structures. Unidentified layered rock, indicating geologic history.
Soft wood fossil broken into two to find out what is really its interior made of. Not so perfectly round but it served as canon ball in early times. Picked from a dry river bed, this specimen is a result of continuous and even abrasion as it travelled downstream.
Limestone undergoing metamorphism into marble which may take a very long time under favorable conditions. Rock collection of a student attracted by the diversity of the specimens.
Brain coral in its early stage of fossilization. Operculum of a large seashell undergoing erosion by the elements. Note the counterclockwise spiral, a unique find.
Shades of opal and glitter often make this petrified wood look valuable when cut and polished, and made into fancy jewelry. This chalky fossil looks like elephant's task. Did elephants roam the countryside in prehistoric times?
Early stone age tools, crude and unpolished, but they served the purpose of hunting.
Mt Pinatubo's pyroclastic rock mounted for the museum. The rock formed while still very hot, forming a porous texture. ~
Floral arrangement of stones gathered from Bacnotan, La Union beach.
A collection of rock samples at author's home.
This is not a fossil, but broken glazed jar often used to store sacred
objects and remains, like an urn in earlier times.
Part 4 - Lectures, Workshops and Researches
Part 5 - Botanical Garden and Ecological Sanctuary
Part 6 - Icons in the Garden
Rizal in Dapitan Shrine
National hero Jose Rizal is depicted biologist and naturalist
while he was on exile at Dapitan.
Apo Baket' Shrine
Holder of time-honored tradition and values, passed on
from generation to generation.
The Unknown Nanny Shrine
A nanny works with babies, toddlers, and young children, focusing on their basic care needs and supporting their development. Her role in wartime is crucial to orphaned children and widowed mother. Throughout history the unknown nanny who is also considered on a higher scale governess is considered guardian and second mother in the home. In times of war she is the unsung domestic hero so to speak, like the Unknown Soldier in the battlefield.
Emilio Aguinaldo Shrine
Emilio Aguinaldo fought for a free and independent Philippines, first against Spain and then against the United States. When the Philippines declared itself an independent republic in 1898 and Aguinaldo became its president, a significant milestone was reached in the struggle against colonial rule in Asia.
Apparition of Mary before Bernadette at Lourdes Grotto
Our Lady appeared to 14-year-old Bernadette Soubirous in Lourdes, France, 18 times from February through July, 1858. During the apparitions she told Bernadette to dig a hole which later in the day produced a stream of water, bringing about thousands of spiritual and physical cures even to this day. Replica of the grotto dedicated to the 1917 Marian Apparition that took place in Fatima, Portugal, in loving memory of the author's sister, Sr Venie V Rotor, ofs.
Part 7 - Earth Day Celebration at the Garden Ecology in the Unifying Element of World Peace
Ecological Ecumenism through Children's Art Workshop
in expressing love and reverence in God and Nature.
Living with Nature Center, San Vicente Ilocos Sur
Art Workshop for Children before a wall mural by the author in his family
residence (Living with Nature Center) in San Vicente Ilocos Sur, 2017.
ANNEX 3
Heritage Basi Wine Industry
Living with Nature Center
San Vicente, Ilocos Sur
Growing up with Basi - a personal experience
Dr Abe V Rotor
Basi and other wine products in different labels depicting important events and scenes in the Ilocos Region.
I grew up with an old local industry – basi wine making. Today there are still 18th century jars, which I use in the way my ancestors made the wine for generations.
I remember Lolo Celing (Marcelino) made basi in the cellar, the ground floor of our house made of thick brick wall. In dad's time we had around 500 jars. He was one of the biggest brewers in town in post Commonwealth era, and probably after the infamous Basi Revolt in 1807 when the Ilocanos took arms but lost to the Spaniards who took monopoly over the industry. Many were killed in that short-lived revolt along the Bantaoay River, a river where my brother Eugene and I used to fish purong (mullet) in summer.
I remember Lolo Celing (Marcelino) made basi in the cellar, the ground floor of our house made of thick brick wall. In dad's time we had around 500 jars. He was one of the biggest brewers in town in post Commonwealth era, and probably after the infamous Basi Revolt in 1807 when the Ilocanos took arms but lost to the Spaniards who took monopoly over the industry. Many were killed in that short-lived revolt along the Bantaoay River, a river where my brother Eugene and I used to fish purong (mullet) in summer.
Getting drunk at an early age
I was already a farmhand before I was of school age, but dad always warned me not to be an aliwegweg (curious at doing things), the experimenter that I was. One morning as dad went on his routine, first to hear mass in our parish church just across our residential farm, I went down to the cellar with a sumpit (small bamboo tube) to take a sip of the sweet day-old fermenting sugarcane juice. I didn't know that with a sip too many one can get drunk. And that was precisely what made me feel sick, but 1 did not tell dad. He called a doctor to find out what was the matter with me. When the doctor arrived he found me normal. What with the distance from Vigan to San Vicente - on a caleza (horse-drawn carriage)? But the doctor was whispering something to dad.
Then it happened. Dad had left for the church, so I thought. I went to the cellar and as soon as I probed the sumpit into a newly fermenting jar and took a sip, someone tapped my shoulder in the dark. It was dad!
Imagine the expression of his face (and mine, too) in the dark. I sobbed with embarrassment while he took a deep sigh of relief. Since then the doctor never came again. And I promised dad never to taste my “beverage" again.
Sunset and revival of the basi industry
Years passed. I left home for my studies in Manila, so with my brother and sister. Dad continued the industry until he became very old. By then the demand for the local drink declined as beer and all kinds of wine and liquor, local and imported, began flooding the market. It was requiem to a sunset industry. In 1981, dad died, so with our basi home industry.
Even after finishing agriculture I did not go back to the farm. So with my brother who also became an agriculturist. Not when you are young and thinking of adventure and opportunities. I pursued advanced studies in biological science. Eugene went back to the farm later, so with our sister, Veny, who joined the Divine Word College of Vigan faculty. But the thought of reviving basi was never in our mind.
For how can a local product sell in a highly competitive market? Foreign products have been flooding the market under the import liberalization program of the government. Other questions propped up, but all boiled down to one possible solution - business viability.
As a researcher I studied the indigenous process of basi making. After I had sufficient materials about the subject I made it into a paper which I read in an ASEAN-New Zealand symposium upon the recommendation of Dr. Romualdo del Rosario, a fellow professor at the UST Graduate School. But the native product needed improvement. It was at first a losing proposition, and I realized I was blazing a lost path. But I did not give up.
Rotor Basi won the Business Incentive Development Award (BIDA 1998). When I opted for an early retirement from government service in 1989 I found more time with my experiments. The improved product was analyzed by the Food Development Center, a government agency that collaborates with the US Food and Drug Administration. Surprisingly the new basi product passed the European standard for champagne, sherry and port.
But it was no guarantee that it is acceptable in the market. It means that if the product is really that good, it can command a premium price. I began to standardize the product. Soon I was able to establish a consistent level of strength (proof), desired range of acidity, and crystal clear color and clarity. There was improvement in aroma, bouquet, sweetness, aftertaste, among other criteria, which constitute international standards for wine. All these were done in various experiments, often in trial and error method, in others through intricate laboratory procedures. Still in others, only after yearlong aging of the wine.
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Basi Revolt, 1807
Rotor Basi back label
The revolt took place 400 km north of Manila where Diego and Gabriela Silang heroically fought Spanish rule 50 years earlier. It was ignited by the declaration of Wine Monopoly by the Spanish government, depriving the natives of their centuries old cottage industry. Basi was among the goods exported through the Galleon Trade plying Ciudad Fernandina (now Vigan City) and Europe via Acapulco, Mexico (1565-1815). The final battle took place along the Bantaoay River that runs through the town of San Vicente where scores of Spanish soldiers and natives were killed. It culminated on September 29, 1807. Fourteen big oil paintings depicting the Basi Revolt are displayed at the Vigan Ayala Museum, housed in the original residence of Filipino martyr, Fr. Jose Burgos. The painter, Don Esteban Villanueva was an eyewitness of this historic event. Today, the basi industry is being revived by Ilocano entrepreneurs whose ancestors may be traced to the heroes of the Basi Revolt of 1807 (Dr. A.V. Rotor)
Product Guarantee: Basi is brewed and aged in the traditional way in glazed earthen jars (burnay) from upland sugar cane, glutinous rice, and botanical ingredients – Pithecolobium dulce, Macaranga tenarius, and Syzygium cumini. The final product is harvested directly from the jar one to three years after aging. No flavoring and coloring added, no filter and plastic containers used. The product meets the European Standard for grape wine – Champagne, Port and Sherry. (Reference: PFDCS 2498 and PFDCS 9429, Food Development Center, National Food Authority) Approximately 21 proof. (Reference: 01-00-0CL-0017, Industrial Technology Development Institute, Department of Science and Technology) A product of NACIDA Home Industry, San Vicente, Ilocos Sur, Philippines. Content 750 ml /375 ml.
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Lastly, I began working on product presentation. The labels I developed are a series of color photographs of historical places of the Ilocos Region, and the story of the Basi Revolt of 1807.
A breakthrough came after receiving the Business Idea for Development and Achievement (BIDA) Award, and a favorable product endorsement by the Department of Agriculture (MARID). Other than the Ilocano balikbayan, the market expanded to include tourist shops, wine connoisseurs, and even church groups.
I am sure Dad must be smiling up there. Here is a toast for you, Dad.
Author shows golden leaves of samat (Macranga tenarius), and bubod (local yeast complex culture), which are principal
ingredients in basi making.
A visit to an 18th century Basi wine cellar
Living with Nature Center
San Vicente, Ilocos Sur
Original basi wine cellar and jars (burnay) date back to the
18th century across six generations of continuous operation,
interrupted only by the Second World War for five years.
The cellar attracts researchers, students and tourists for its historical
significance with the Spanish Galleon Trade, and technology of
the old folks in making basi and its related products, principally
vinegar (sukang Iloko).
By now this jar of basi is 15 years old. Unless opened, it remains longer
in aging. The general rule is, the longer wine is aged, the more mellow it
becomes. It's not really so. There are other factors to consider like
damaged clay cap and leaching. And there's the basic rule that "only
good wine mellows with age" (So with man, sages add.)
Crystalline golden color and pleasant wine aroma meet the happy
connoisseur after the desired aging period is reached (at least two
years in the case of Rotor basi). Fresh and direct from the jar, the
harvest is bottled, sealed and labelled (as shown below), according
to customers' specifications intended for an occasion like
wedding, Christmas, exhibit, and the like.
House guest picks a fruit wine of his choice, Fruit wine making
follows the basic fermentation-aging process in basi making.
There are 30 kinds of fruit wine developed in this cellar from different
fruits growing locally like macopa, aratiles, duhat and guyabano.
Stamp commemorating the Galleon Trade.
Scene of a Galleon trading post in Ciudad de Vigan in Spanish time.
"The Manila-Acapulco galleon trade* in the 18th century was undertaken by Vigan Chinese mestizo traders who exported local products such as basi, tobacco and abel to Europe and other parts of Asia..." Pia Roces Morato, Thorns and Roses
Basi jar lying on the sea floor where a galleon ship was wrecked.
Basi Revolt of 1807 in Paintings by Esteban Villanueva
The revolt took place 400 km north of Manila where Diego and Gabriela Silang heroically fought Spanish rule 50 years before. It was precipitated by the declaration of Wine Monopoly by the local Spanish government that virtually took from the hands of small cottage brewers an industry the Ilocos region enjoyed long before Spain colonized the islands. Basi was carried by the Galleon trade plying Ciudad Fernandina (now Vigan City) and Europe via Acapulco, Mexico (1565-1815).
The final battle took place along the Bantaoay River that runs through the town of San Vicente, some 4 km from the capital where the industry flourished. Scores of Spanish soldiers and natives were killed. Although the revolt spread to as far as Ilocos Norte, and Pangasinan to the south, it culminated on September 29, 1907 with the public execution of the captured rebels.
Fourteen big oil paintings depicting the Basi Revolt, also known as Ambaristo Revolt (named after its leader) can be seen today at the Vigan Ayala Museum, which is housed in the original residence of Filipino priest martyr, Fr. Jose Burgos. The painter, Don Esteban Villanueva was an eyewitness of this historic event.
Today, the Basi Revolt lives on with the fine taste and tradition of this unique product standing among the best wines of the world. Nine of the paintings are posted here.
ANNEX 4
Arboretum*
Microcosm of a Tropical Forest
Living with Nature Botanical Garden
San Vicente, Ilocos Sur
Dr Abe V Rotor
This towering native mango is more than four generations old. It dominates several heritage trees which include talisay (Terminalia catappa), caimito (Chrysophyllum cainito), and macopa (Eugenia jambalana), and other upcoming heritage trees in the arboretum. On its limbs and branches hang lianas and epiphytes like rosary bead (Abrus precatorius), philodendron, ferns, bromeliads, mosses and lichens. The tree in itself is an ecosystem, complete in biodiversity and dynamic balance season after season in a state of homeostasis.
A grove of heritage trees makes a fort-like wall against strong wind,
flood and erosion - and irritating noise. (Trees are excellent buffers
of sound.) It is the home of arboreal animals like gecko lizard,
bats, tree frogs, sparrows, wild honeybees, moths and butterflies,
other arthropods notwithstanding. The trees also serve as seasonal
host to migrating birds like tarat, panal and perperocka, and
occasionally martinez bird, black crow and kingfisher, and hawk.
Heritage palm trees - anahaw (Livistona rotundifolia) and betel nut (Areca catechu) - rise as emergents through the canopy of the arboretum. They are the abode of bats, resting during the day
under their drooping broad leaves - a perfect base for their
nocturnal habit.
University of Northern Philippines students tour the arboretum
for their outdoor research and extension studies.
On-the-spot painting contest under the trees is a rare experience of children from different schools of the Municipality of San Vicente, Ilocos Sur, in celebration of Earth Day last April 22, 2023, sponsored by LGU
and the Living with Nature Center.
My grandchildren - Mateo, Mackie and Markus - enjoy their summer
vacation in the arboretum, a different kind of adventure to the
young city-bred generation.
A flimsy canopy of treetops allows sunlight to penetrate
and nourish the small trees, shrubs and ground plants.
This explains the dense vegetation of rainforests. The
deciduous nature of most tropical trees, that is, seasonal
shedding of leaves, enhances this phenomenon.
Clearing in between trees is maintained regularly for outdoor
workshops and study tours for house guests and study groups.
Trees are robust and green throughout the year, and are most noticeable in the dry season, thus trees are the refuge of many organisms, from birds to reptiles - and even fish and amphibians - when the surrounding fields and ponds are virtually dry.
They filter the direct rays and heat of the sun, dusts, spores, and radiation. Breeze, mist and dew keep temperature and humidity stable.
Music of nature - chirping of birds, shrill of cicada, fiddling of crickets, rustling of leaves, bass of toads and frogs - all these constitute a soothing and harmonious symphony. Mozart's Effect must have originated in such ambiance, so with Beethoven's famous symphony, Brahms's Lullaby and Grieg's Prelude to Morning.
Music of nature - chirping of birds, shrill of cicada, fiddling of crickets, rustling of leaves, bass of toads and frogs - all these constitute a soothing and harmonious symphony. Mozart's Effect must have originated in such ambiance, so with Beethoven's famous symphony, Brahms's Lullaby and Grieg's Prelude to Morning.
The Parthenon of Greece must have its origin from the imagination
of our ancestors who saw the beauty and grace of standing trees reaching for the sky. Nature is indeed the greatest architect, and
man is but her student.
The built-in knots, twists and crevices on trees are natural homes of lizards, bees, ants, birds, and the like. They also serve as rivulets and waterholes that catch and store rain and dew, serving as arboreal pond for dragonfly naiads, tadpoles, and even certain species of fish. Shown here are macopa (Eugenia jambalana) and palomaria trees (Callophyllum inophyllum), which are among the heritage trees in the arboretum. ~
In Latin, an arboretum is a place planted with trees, not necessarily in this specific sense, and "arboretum" as an English word is first recorded used by John Claudius Loudon in 1833 in The Gardener's Magazine, but the concept was already long-established by then. Wikipedia
San Vicente Botanical Garden
Partial List of plants in their common and scientific names
and family to which each plant species or variety belongs.
Not alphabetically arranged and classified as to type of
growth and other botanical characteristics, June 12, 2023
Dr Abe V Rotor
1. Achiote or Annatto – Bixa orellana - Bixaceae
2. Alagaw – Premna odorata - Lamiaceae
3. Anahao - Saribus rotundifolius - Caryophyllaceae
4. Apatot – Morinda littoralis/citrifolia - Rubiaceae
5. Arios – Podocarpus costalis - Gymnospermae
6. Balete - Ficus benjamina - Moraceae
7. Bird’s Nest fern – Asplenium nidus - Aspleniaceae
8. Bougainvillea – Bougainvillea spectabilis Nyctaginaceae
9. Bromeliad – Portea spp - Bromeliaceae
10. Caballero plant – Caesalpinia pulcherrima - Fabaceae
11. Caimito – Crysophyllum cainito - Sapotaceeae
12. Calamansi – Citrus macrocarpa - Rutaceae
13. Chico – Achras (Sapodilla) zapota - Sapotaceae
14. Chinese Bamboo – Bambusa multiplex - Poaceae
15. Coconut – Cocos nucifera - Arecaceae
16. Creeping Fig – Ficus pumila - Moraceae
17. Cyperus – C. papyrus Cyperaceae
18. Dalandan – Citrus decumana - Rutaceae
19. Duhat – Syzygium cumini – Myrtaceae
20. False Bird of Paradise – Heliconia psittacorum – Heliconiaceae
21. Giant Bamboo – Dedrocalamus giganteus - Poaceae
22. Giant Thorny Bamboo – Bambusa bambos Poaceae
23. Aplas - Ficus hawili - Moraceae
24. Kalachuchi – Plumeria rubra/ P alba Apocynaceae
25. Ilang-ilang – Cananga odorata - Annonaceae
26. Makopa – Eugenia jambalana - Myrtaceae
27. Mayana - Coleus blumei - Lamiaceae
28. Red Anthurium – A. andraeanum - Araceae
29. Sanggumay – Dendrobium anosmum Orchidaceae
30. Bromeliad – Guzmania spp. Bromeliaceae
31. Gumamela – Hibiscus rosa-sinensis Malvaceae
32. Maguey – Agave cantala – Asparagaceae (sub-F Agavoideae)
33. Mahogany - Swietinia macrophylla - Meliaceae
34. Strangler’s Fig (balete) Ficus benjamina - Moraceae
35. Molave – Vitex parviflora - Verbenaceae
36. Narra – Pterocarpus indicus - Dipterocarpaceae
37. White Lauan – Shorea contorta - Dipterocarpaceae
38. Bitaog - Calophyllum inophyllum– Calophyllaceae
39. Bikal Bamboo – Schizostachyum dielsianum - Poaceae
40. Staghorn Fern – Platycerium bifurcatum - Polypodiaceae
41. Oak fern – Gymnocarpium dryopteris - Cystopteridaceae
42. Balimbing – Averrhoa bilimbi -Oxalidaceae
43. Tubang Bakod – Jatropha curcas - Euphorbiaceae
44. Jatropha (coral plant) – Jatropha podagrica/multifida - Euphorbiaceae
45. Castor bean – Ricinus communis - Euphorbiacae
46. Calamansi – Citrus microcarpa - Rutaceae
47. Sampalok – Tamarindus indica – Ceasalpiniaceae
48. Banaba – Lagerstroemia speciosa - Lythraceae
49. Golden Shower – Cassia fistula - Fabaceae
50. Lobster’s Claw plant – Heliconia rostata - Heliconiaceae
51. Soro-soro – Euphorbia neriifolia - Euphorbiaceae
52. Buntot Tigre – Cordyline roxburghiana - Agaveceae
53. Barbados Cherry – Malphighia emarginata
54. Kamachili – Pithecolobium dulce - Fabaceae
55. Pandakaki – Tabernaemontana pandakaqui - Apocynaceae
56. Pandan – Pandanus amaryllifolius - Pandanaceae
57. Mahogany – Swietenia macrophylla - Meliaceae
58. Maiden Hair Fern – Adriatum raddianum - Pteridaceae
59. Lantana plant – Lantana camara - Verbenaceae
60. Nangka – Artocarpus heterophyllus - Moraceae
61. Philodendron – P. melanochrysum
62. Indian Mast Tree – Polyalthia longifolia
63. Fishtail palm – Caryota mitis - Arecaceae
64. Shanghai Beauty – Jatropha integerrima - Euphorbiaceae
65. Selaginella – S, lepidophylla/braunii - Selaginellaceae
66. Tsaang Gubat – Ehretia microphylla - Boraginaceae
67. Manga – Mangifera indica - Anacardiaceae
68. Mulberry – Morus nigra - Moraceae
69. Yellow Bell – Tecoma stans – Bignoniaceae family
70. Kamias – Averrhoa bilimbi - Oxalidaceae
71. Forget-Me-Not – Myosotis scorpioides - Boraginaceae
72. Rambutan – Nephelium lappaceaum - Sapindaceae
73. Bromeliad – Portea spp - Bromeliaceae
74. Sisal – Agave sisalana - Agavaceae
75. Thorns of Christ plant – Euphorbia milii - Euphorbiaceae
76. Mickey Mouse plant – Ochna serrulate Ochnaceae
77. Lagundi – Vitex negundo Verbenaceae
78. Lotus – Nelumbium nelumbo Nelumbonaceae
79. Nymphaea – Nymphaea alba/ colorata - Nymphaeaceae
80. Santol – Sandoricum koetjape - Meliaceae
81. Tibig – Ficus nota - Moraceae
83. Gummamela - Hibiscus rosa-sinensis - Malvaceae
84. Palmera – Borassus flabellifer - Araceae
85. Talisay (Lugo’) – Terminalia catappa - Combretaceae
86. Miracle Fruit - Synsepalum dulcificum - Sapotaceae
87. Malaikmo - Celtis philippensis - Cannabaceae
88. Mabolo - Diospyros blancoi - Ebenaceae
89. Acacia - Samanea saman - Fabaceae
90. Kandaroma - Vachellia farnesiana, formerly Acacia farnesian
ANNEX 5
MMSU Students Visit the Living with Nature Center
in Search of the Evolution of Art
Dr Abe V Rotor
"The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science." - Albert Einstein
Botanical Garden and Plant Nursery
Art Gallery
Museum and Library
Make believe hugging a tree on a wall mural
Tree Hugging raises awareness about the importance of trees and forests, and to promote social and health benefits. It is counterpart of Valentine's love and affection to Mother Nature. 
Backyard raising of native fowls and hito (catfish), and arboretum exude a natural ambiance of unspoiled nature, today's evolving subject of art's role in ecology.
Art and Nature in various presentations on conventional canvas,
on wall mural, impressionistic and abstract.
Author poses with student guests before a nature wall mural.
Luis Domingo, Ivy Ramos, Jusmerl Brandon Rafanan and Angel Malapit.
Butterfly specimens mounted on painted canvas. An experimental
approach in biology and painting combination.
Art and Science - Evolution in Art
Oral poetry with local music background
Come, let me give your eyes rest.*
"Look deep into this image painted by one whose eyes have long sought for peace and rest through some connection with Nature."
Dr Abe V Rotor
Come, let me give your eyes rest, in acrylic (33.5" x 24") by AV Rotor 2025
Painting on display at the Living with Nature Center, San Vicente, Ilocos Sur
Are your eyes tired of too much exposure on the computer, day and night, hour after hour, rushing up school assignments, work-at-home deadlines, tracking down news here and abroad, or simply playing games which is actually a straining pastime?
Are your eyes tired from heavy schedule in office, at the workplace, driving through heavy traffic beating rush hour and the Bundy clock, for hours, going out and back home, at daybreak and after work, and doing errands in between?
Are your eyes tired of too much drama on stage and screen, audio-visons virtually without end, fiesta or no fiesta, searching for apparition in the sky, braving the camera and floodlights, looking into the lens for the unseen, and now, with AI magical power?
Are your eyes tired of blinding and blinking lights on the highway complex of vehicles, floodlights and billboards, in restaurants and bars, even in the park you think relaxing to spend a weekend with your family, or simply alone for reflection?
Are your eyes tired of reading novels, printed or in e-book versions by your favorite authors like Hemingway, for contemporary realism; Pasternak, for refined radicalism; Mark Twain, for boys' adventure; Jules Verne, for prototype futurism?
Are your eyes tired of the imagery of Future Shock and Eco-Spasm by Alvin Toffler, of Uncle Tom's Cabin in the age of slavery in the US, of Ann Frank's Diary of a lonely and frightful world during WW II, of Orwellian Big Brother syndrome in "1984"?
Are your eyes tired, seeing not only real vision but after-visions accumulated through hours and hours of concentration in school, office, home, and residues of visual experiences surreptitiously stored in your Jungian psyche?
Look deep into this image painted by one whose eyes have long sought for peace and rest, for connection with Nature in the sky and into the deep, in the microcosm of a leaf, filaments of algae, rootlets, buds, myriads of unseen mysteries of creation.
And in seeing all these, you may find your way back to the beauty, innocence and joy, to the simplicity and harmony of life and living. ~
Details of painting, Come, let me give your eyes rest, by AV Rotor 2025.
* Poetry reading with Ilocano musical background No Duaduaem Pay (If Ever You Doubt Me) - recitation by Ivy Ramos with accompaniment on the violin by the author.
"Sciences provide an understanding of a universal experience, Arts are a universal understanding of a personal experience... they are both a part of us and a manifestation of the same thing... the arts and sciences are avatars of human creativity." - Mae Jemison
ANNEX 6
Living with Nature at Home
"Nature is not a place to visit, it is home."
- Gary Snydera, American poet and environmentalist
Wall murals painted by Dr Abe V Rotor
at his ancestral home in San Vicente, Ilocos Sur
"Whose children are these
braving the sun
and caring none
'til their work is done?
Whose children are these
writing history on sand
with pure bliss
sent by your Son?"
- AVR
"Childhood is ephemeral like a dream;
as if only yesterday as it may seem."
- AVR
"Hush! Suddenly the world became still;
Gone is the lark or the raven on the sill."
- AVR
"When the wind and waves
lay down their wrath,
and make peace
with the sand and hills,
the sea breathes
on the reef and pools,
where vacationers scan,
unburdening their thoughts,
while the image of heaven
lies under their feet."
- AVR
"If you truly love nature, you will find beauty everywhere." –Laura Ingalls Wilder
"Drip, drip, drip, may be music
to the ear in the park;
but not behind walls
or some forgotten arch."
- AVR
"Let's build a temple of worship of trees
in a little corner down the glen;
rebuild the ruins laid by life at ease,
and bequeath them to our children."
- AVR
“Nature is loved by what is best in us.” –Ralph Waldo Emerson
"The valley, the river, the mountain,
big as they are - they're the small;
and the small are the biggest;
the birds, the crawlers, the bees."
- AVR
Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature. It will never fail you.” –Frank Lloyd Wright
"I hear the singing of angels,
As the winds weave through the green,
And brush my face with a thousand needles,
To feel the touch of a hand unseen."
- AVR
"I lie here in the morning sun, the sun that finds me through the honeysuckle leaves, and I think of the sweetness my heart has, and the sweetness of many hearts." –Peggy Pond Church
"How wonderful is creation
when we realize in a miniscule
the universality of the simple
linked to the complex,
where every living thing is part
of life's interrelationship;
like a chain, its strength
is shared by all links
in place cooperating."
- AVR
We can never have enough of nature." –Henry David Thoreau
"A gem sparkle before it loses light
as shadows fall when the light is out;
no less than beauty that fades in sight,
save some steps that move about."
- AVR
"Pleasance to you youth, bright as the sun;
Be the world at war, or at peace;
Ask not where have all the flowers gone;
Season come and go the same at ease."
- AVR
Underground river in Palawan painted on concrete wall with latex paint, with three dimensional effect from relief made of paint crust applied as paste to emphasize rocks. .
"Teachers, entrepreneurs - take time out
from school and whatever trade;
transients, residents, family, friends,
leisure is life also made."
- AVR
An empty wall comes alive with freshness and joy and a message to the old world.
"Young hands at work before an empty wall to make a mirror
of themselves for others to see now and in the years to come;
Innocence is preserved and revered, captured for posterity,
when childhood shall have passed its time, and life has began."
- AVR
"Where we all came from,
to our final sojourn,
once the soul is freed,
begins the atom,
that returns unknown."
- AVR
Picnic at the sala, author's residence
"In their mind, it's outdoor with nature,with amenities through art, they are;away from the cellphone, from the mall,as they while away time, worry and chore."- avr
"The goal of life is to make your heartbeat match the beat of the universe, to match your nature with Nature." –Joseph Campbell
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Verses from Light in the Woods, AV Rotor 1995, Megabooks; Don't Cut the Trees, Don't, AV Rotor UST 2010
