Chinese Parasol and Baobab Trees

Dr Abe V Rotor
Living with Nature School on Blog

Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid with Ms Melly C Tenorio

738 DZRB AM Band, 8 to 9 evening class, Monday to Friday

A Chinese parasol tree against a high rise,
I wouldn't dare compare;
God's creation and that of man has no price,
with nothing common to pair. 

The tree has no stairs or lift to take me up,
yet it arms embrace me high
into the sky beyond my sight and cross the gap
between earth and the blue sky.

The building is but a shell, an empty dead shell, 
transient its inhabitants are;
like hermit crabs on the run and returning, tell
of the weather if bad or fair. 


And the parasol tree stands witness to man's
incessant and endless toil;
telling him of the seasons passing in the sands
of time, sans regret, recoil.    

Chinese parasol Cavanillesia hylogeiton Malvaceae, UST Manila  

Cavanillesia belongs to the same family as the baobab Adansonia. 

Baobab is also called 'boab', 'boaboa', 'bottle tree', 'the tree of life', 'upside-down tree', and 'monkey bread tree'. It grows in Madagascar, mainland Africa, and Australia. The baobab is the national tree of Madagascar. "The Big Baobab Pub" South Africa is 22 metres (72 ft) high, 47 m (155 ft) in circumference, and is said to have been carbon dated at over 6,000 years old
The baobab tree is known as the tree of life, with good reason. It can provide shelter, clothing, food, and water for the animal and human inhabitants of the African savannah regions. The cork-like bark and huge stem are fire resistant and are used for making cloth and rope. The leaves are used as condiments and medicines. The fruit, called "monkey bread", is edible, and full of vitamins.

The fruit has a velvety shell and is about the size of a coconut, weighing about 1.44 kilograms (3.2 lb). It has a somewhat acidic flavor, described as 'somewhere between grapefruit, pear, and vanilla'. The tree can store hundreds of liters of water, which is an adaptation to the harsh drought conditions of its environment. The tree may be tapped in dry periods. Mature trees are usually hollow, providing living space for many animals and humans. Trees are even used as bars, barns, wine and beer shops and more.~

Great Awakening

Dr Abe V Rotor
Living with Nature School on Blog

Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid with Ms Melly C Tenorio

738 DZRB AM Band, 8 to 9 evening class, Monday to Friday

Artist at Camp Sampaguita, Muntinlupa, Rizal

Great Awakening

I woke up on the wrong side of bed one sunrise
And opened the wrong door, the backdoor;
Saw my banana plants cut down by my neighbor,
And I, in anger, cut him down in reprise.

This is my life at the other side of midnight,
In a penitentiary for ten years or so
Recreating the life that I failed to do
Behind bars, training afar my sight.

How can I paint life I didn't live up with?
Take it from Van Gogh, or Rembrandt,
Masters of art, yet to the world, servants;
Humble in recluse, fully they had lived.

I want to be remembered, he told me,
Even only by my wife, my little ones I left;
But what heritage awaits a convict bereft
Of freedom, honor and dignity?

Through the bars he saw birds flying high,
Through the bars came the sun and the moon;
Clouds in many faces rolled on and on
And many an angel came passing by.

Give me a brush and paint, a bit of the sun,
He asked, thereupon a new dawn fell on him.
Days and nights grew longer it seemed
Til man, heaven and earth became one.

In his painting people called each other brethren,
Singing hymns of hope and compassion,
Of man striving at each life's station,
On the road to salvation and Heaven.

Amsterdam, bike-friendliest city

Amsterdam, bike-friendliest city 
Dr Abe V Rotor
Living with Nature School on Blog

Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid with Ms Melly C Tenorio

738 DZRB AM Band, 8 to 9 evening class, Monday to Friday

There are 880,000 bicycles - more than the city's population of 800,000, that some streets have so many cyclists on them there are bike traffic jams.

The 20 Most Bike-Friendly Cities In The World.   

The newly released Copenhagenize Index 2013, produced by the Copenhagenize Design Co., ranked 150 cities around the world on 13 parameters, including cycling facilities, culture, sharing program, gender split, politics, and traffic calming. It also gave bonus points for categories like political leadership.Here are the top 20 cities, each with a score out of 100 points.

Bikers in downtown Amsterdam 

1. Amsterdam, Netherlands

2. Copenhagen, Denmark

3. Utrecht, Netherlands

4. Seville, Spain, Bordeaux, France (tie)

5. Nantes, France, Antwerp, Belgium (tie)

6. Eindhoven, Netherlands

7. Malmö, Sweden

8. Berlin, Germany

9. Dublin, Ireland

10. Tokyo, Japan

11. Munich, Germany, Montreal, Canada, Nagoya, Japan (tie)

12. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

13. Barcelona, Spain, Budapest, Hungary (tie), Paris, France (tie)

14. Hamburg, Germany

  Acknowledgement: Wikipedia, Time 

Is there life on Europa, Jupiter's largest moon?

Is there life on Europa, Jupiter's largest moon? 
Europa, Jupiter's largest moon, may have all the right ingredients for life. 

Dr Abe V Rotor
Living with Nature School on Blog*
This is the closest "living" place outside the earth. It has water, in fact an enormous amount 150 km deep and covered by an icy crust as thick as 15 km. From the geysers and cracks, sodium chloride, the common salt of the earth's ocean, has been detected together with other elements and compounds that convince scientists that Europa is a suitable host to life. How heat is generated to maintain its interior a watery mass and perhaps warm, is by the gravitational flexing by its sister moons as they pass, a principle called tidal heating.

Europa has a size approximately like our moon

Europa was discovered on 8 January 1610 by Galileo Galilei, and possibly independently by Simon Marius. It is named after a Phoenician noblewoman in Greek mythology, Europa, who was courted by Zeus and became the queen of Crete.~
-------------------------------------------
Astrobiology is the study of the origin, evolution, distribution, and future of life in the universe: extraterrestrial life and life on Earth. This interdisciplinary field encompasses the search for habitable environments in our Solar System and habitable planets outside our Solar System, the search for evidence of prebiotic chemistry, laboratory and field research into the origins and early evolution of life on Earth, and studies of the potential for life to adapt to challenges on Earth and in outer space. Astrobiology addresses the question of whether life exists beyond Earth, and how humans can detect it if it does. The term exobiology is similar but more specific — it covers the search for life beyond Earth, and the effects of extraterrestrial environments on living things.(Wikipedia)

*Lesson on former Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid  Dr Abe Rotor and Ms Ms Melly C Tenorio 738 DZRB AM Band, 8 to 9 evening class, Monday to Friday

Aging Population of the World

Dr Abe V Rotor
Living with Nature School on Blog

Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid with Ms Melly C Tenorio

738 DZRB AM Band, 8 to 9 evening class, Monday to Friday

Percentage of population over 60 expected by 2050: US 27%, China 34%, Japan in 1989, 11.6% of the population was 65 years or older, with projections that 25.6% of the population would be over 65 by 2030, and 42% in 2030, the highest in the world. The nation's total population will fall by 25% from 127.8 million in 2005, to 95.2 million by 2050. 


Philippines aging population May 2010: the household population reached 92 million, from this number, senior citizens made up 6.8 percent. The number is higher than the 6 percent recorded last 2000. Among the senior citizens, females (55.8 percent) outnumbered the males (44.2 percent). 

We should not be afraid of the dark, it strengthens our faith and resolve in life.

We should not be afraid of the dark, it strengthens our faith and resolve in life.
Dr Abe V Rotor
Living with Nature School on Blog

Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid with Ms Melly C Tenorio

738 DZRB AM Band, 8 to 9 evening class, Monday to Friday

Sing or play an instrument with eyes closed as you would when praying.  Or listening to Hating Gabi, serenade by Antonio Molina,  Nocturne by Chopin, and Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata on the piano. 

Starry Night painting by Vincent Van Gogh.  A song was composed from this painting - Vincent (Starry, Starry Night

There in the darkness of the mind come alive the melody, the drama, the scenario that are more vivid than when you were under the influence of light, and the ambiance of the surroundings we neither can create nor possess alone. 

Darkness distills our experience during the day - the many scenes that passed before our eyes, sounds that strained into our ears, stimuli our senses capture willingly or not, from the incessant struggle of daily living. 

We surrender to darkness as if it were our refuge, like in the maternal comfort of the womb, or the purity of innocence in Plato's Allegory of the Cave.  We surrender to the voice in darkness that converted Saul into a saint - St Paul the apostle, to the prayerful realm of a blind girl, Fatima Soriano; the classical vision in a blind tenor-songwriter and lawyer, Andrea Bochelli. (photo, left)

Darkness makes the following day beautiful, as day makes a well deserve rest in the night for the body and  spirit to settle down in surrender and peace. Darkness recharges our will and strength, refocuses our direction and goal, restarts our tired mind, calms down our racing heart and pulse.

Didn't the exodus led by Moses happen at night, and wasn't in darkness on Mt Sinai that God handed him the ten commandments?  It was in the dark when God appeared to Abraham and promised him "more descendants than the stars"? Didn't the Resurrection take place in a dark cave?

Gautama Buddha meditated in the caves of northern India.  Mohammad received the Koran in a cave outside Mecca.  St Francis prayed in a tiny grotto near Assisi. Bruce, the Scottish
hero, retreated into a cave to escape his enemies and there watched a spider painstakingly built a web.  Inspired, he rebuilt his army, fought the English king and gained back his throne. 

Famous writers found the dark the best place to express themselves. John Milton (photo, left) wrote Paradise Regained in his blindness, in contrast to Paradise Lost  he wrote while his sight was not yet impaired. Helen Keller, blind since infancy, "saw" in three days in an article she wrote" If I were given three days to see." She saw and experienced the world for so short a time. She saw more than we who can see have seen.  

Author of Let there be Night, and preacher Barbara Brown Taylor recommend these simple ways to appreciate the dark: A walk in the dark can lead to wisdom, deliver us from fear and Taylor believes, bring us closer to God.
1. Walk slowly at night (where it is safe, AVR). 
2. Watch the moonrise.  
3. Unplug all your devices at night, and 
4. Sit in a closet (as close as a cave as city dwellers can get.) 

Author's Note: Fear of the dark is a common fear among children and, to a varying degree, of adults. Fear of the dark is usually not fear of darkness itself, but fear of possible or imagined dangers concealed by darkness.  It is recommended that people who are suffering of nyctophobia or achiuophobia, the phobia of fear should get medical advice before undertaking these steps.~
Acknowledgement: Time April 2014, Wikipedia

Who says we can't re-invent the wheel?

Who says we can't re-invent the wheel? 
Dr Abe V Rotor
Living with Nature School on Blog

Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid with Ms Melly C Tenorio

738 DZRB AM Band, 8 to 9 evening class, Monday to Friday

Royal ride on an elephant; elephant's wooden wheel wagon, Bangkok

Bullock's "gypsy" wagon, Philippines

Counterpart of the horse's chariot of war,
the peaceful bullock's cart on rice paddies,
kariton or partigo' our village invention,
all from the wheel through the centuries.

We wonder at technology's evolution,
from a rolling stone to wood to steel,
relegating the wheel today to the museum,
and denying we can't re-invent the wheel.~

Ecology and Field Biology Examination (Multiple Choice 45 items)

MULTIPLE CHOICE: Copy the letter of the correct answer in each set.

Dr. A.V. Rotor
Living with Nature School on Blog

Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid with Ms Melly C Tenorio

738 DZRB AM Band, 8 to 9 evening class, Monday to Friday

Fish cages on Lake Tikob, Tiang, Quezon

A. In the preparation of wine and vinegar from local fruits, the following steps are involved:

A. Inoculation of yeast B. preparation of the must C. fermentation proper D. aging E. Oxidation

___1. Arrange them according to SOP. A. a-b-d-c-e B.-a-c-d-e b C. b-d-b-c-e D. b-a-e-c-d

___2. The enzyme produced is zymase. 

___3. This consequently transforms ethanol into acetic acid. 

___4. This involves mashing of fruits with table sugar.

___5. Mellowing of taste is the principal objective. 

B. Natural ecosystems are sacrificed by certain socio-economic projects such as the following: A. Building of golf courses B. Urbanized communities C. Industrialization D. Intensive agriculture E. 3-Mile Island nuclear accident.

___6. Displaces pasture land, farmlands and wildlife areas. 

___7. Chemicals are washed into rivers, lakes and sea.

___8. Emits radioactive fallout that affects many countries. 

___9. People become concentrated in a limited area. 

__10. Results in the production of non-biodegradable by-products such plastics and oil spills. 

C. These are dihybrid crosses to show dominant and recessive traits. The parents are shown as follows: A. TTRR (tall round-seeded) x ttrr (short wrinkle-seeded B. Tt Rr x TtRr C. TtRr x tt rr D. ttrr x ttrr E. Not applicable.

__11. The offspring are 1 tall round-seeded, 1 tall wrinkle-seeded, 1 short round seeded and 1 short wrinkle-seeded. 

__12. The phenotype ratio of the F1 is 9:3:3:1 

__13. Offspring of the first filial generation are all tall round-seeded 

__14. The F1 offspring are all short wrinkle seeded. 

__15. The genotype ratio of the F1 is 1:1:1:1 

D. These are acronyms: A. BSE-CJD  B. DNA C. GMC  D. SALT  E. SWIP

__16. Popularly known as Mad Cow Disease which originated in Britain.

__17. Answer to “kaingin” or slash and burn agriculture. 

__18. Known as Code of heredity, the discovery of this millennium. 

__19. Frankenfood, after the horror fiction, Frankenstein. 

__20. A miniature of Pantabangan Dam 

E. Among the major ecological systems or biomes of the world are as follows: A. Savannah B. Tundra C. Grassland D. Alpine E. Tropical Rainforest F. Taiga G. Chaparral

__21. Safari or game of hunting wild animals is the scenery in this biome. 

__22. Coldest of all biomes, only bryophytes at certain times of the year can survive. 

__23. The prairies of North America, inhabited by the early American Indians. 

__24. In terms of diversity and population density this is the richest of all biomes 

__25. Gymnosperms virtually appear to be singularly occupying this biome.

F. Identify the position of the following in the Food Pyramid A. producers B. herbivores C. decomposers D. 2nd order consumers E. 3rd order consumers

__26. Larvae of dragonfly (naiad) 

__27. Oryza sativa 

__28. Chanus chanus philippinensis 

__29. Philippine Tarsier 

__30. Diatoms 

G. Here is a case study whereby fishponds are built on formerly natural ecosystems of mangrove estuaries, a business venture in supplying the market with prawns and bangus. Among the effects are A. Destruction of the ecosystem. B. Endangerment of the local species C. Pre- disposition to erosion and siltation D. Blocking of waterways E. Loss of indigenous industries and livelihood.

__31. The displaced area is no longer a climax community. 

__32. Shifting soil and detritus cannot settle down and stabilize. 

__33. Fisherfolk find riverine transportation becoming difficult.

__34. Firewood, tangal for dye and fermentation, and the like, become unavailable. 

__35. As a breeding place, marine life cannot go through the natural life cycle. 

J. Environmental degradation can be arrested/minimized in our own way with governments, NGO and the citizens working hand on hand. A. Waste segregation scheme Program B. Microbial decomposition C. Use of atmosphere-friendly compounds, in lieu of CFCs. D. Vehicle volume reduction scheme E. Wind mill, alcogas, biogas, geothermal energy

__36. Nature’s way of getting rid of wastes with the aid of unicellular organisms. 

__37. These are so-called alternative energy sources. 

__38. A palliative measure to ease traffic and reduce pollution in Metro Manila. 

__39. Garbage collection is easier and systematic for recycling and disposal.

__40. Give relief to allow nature to cope up with the thinning of the ozone layer. 

I. For five billion years the year has been undergoing change. Life for one has been a long struggle as evidenced by the following developments: A. The unicellular organisms were the first inhabitants on earth. B. Man is among the recently formed species. C. “Only those species which are the fittest will survive.” D. Now and then Nature commits error through mutation. E. All organisms are said to be continuously evolving.

__41. Chromosomal aberration occurs unpredictably. D

__42. Blue-green algae or cyanophytes are still around today, possibly as abundant as before. A

__43. It was Darwin who thought of this as a theory – and now as an acknowledged principle. C

__44. This explains why there are freaks and variants among living things. D

__45 Only change does not change – the world is always undergoing dynamic changes. E

 Copepods or Daphnia under LPO (50x)

ANSWER KEY -

A.  1B    2A     3E    4B    5D

B.  6A     7D     8E     9B   10C

C.  11C  12B   13A   14D   15C  

D.  16A  17 D  18 B  19 C  20E

E.   21A   22B   23C  24E   25 F 

F   26D/E  27A  28B   29D/E  30A

G.  31A   32C   33D   34E  35B

H.   36B    37E    38D   39A    40C
I.    41D    42A    43C    44D    45E 

RATING:

43 - 45 Excellent
40 - 42 Very Good
37 - 39 Good

34 - 36 Fair 
30 - 33 Passed

Life and the Traffic Light

Dr Abe V Rotor

Living with Nature School on Blog

Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid with Ms Melly C Tenorio

738 DZRB AM Band, 8 to 9 evening class, Monday to Friday

Time is likened to the traffic light;

It signals you to go or to stop;

It comes in cycles like in a flight; 

Not a wink, and rest is but a gap - 

Warning nil when your time is up. ~

Waterfall Forever

Mural and Poem by Abe V Rotor
Living with Nature School on Blog

Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid with Ms Melly C Tenorio

738 DZRB AM Band, 8 to 9 evening class, Monday to Friday

Mural in acrylic, AVR 2009

Imagery in the inner eye, old yet new,
of boyhood in frolic and abandon;
a waterfall forever flowing 
down the river in summer season.

Youth, be not proud, the old often warned,
for having lost but once your prime,
the sun sets earlier each day and hour, 
and the once sweet bell no longer a chime.

And the hammock lulls you not to dream 
but sleep while the world goes round,
and gaining consciousness once again, 
one step nearer to God you're bound. 

Not when the waterfall is alive and strong,
not when the boy in you calls every day
among other urchins seeking adventure -
Youth be not proud, you seem to say. ~

The Earthworm - Nature's Fertilizer Factory

Dr Abe V Rotor
Living with Nature School on Blog

Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid with Ms Melly C Tenorio

738 DZRB AM Band, 8 to 9 evening class, Monday to Friday

Giant Earthworm; burrows and castings. University of Santo Tomas, Manila

Hades lives with you, he of spirit, you of flesh

And together in the underworld, stir imagination:

He of mythology and you of life's mystery,

Of death, of new life, of a new generation.

Earthworms feed on dead leaves and other farm and garden waste, convert them into humus, a natural fertilizer. This biological process recycles the major elements, Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Potassium; the minor elements like Magnesium, Manganese, Sulfur; and the trace elements like Boron, Iron, Zinc. These nourish the current nutrient needs of plants, as well as other organisms - and those in the succeeding generations. 

Living with Nature 3, AVR

Bahay Kubo is symbol of self-sufficiency, simplicity and natural beauty

Dr Abe V Rotor
Living with Nature School on Blog
Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid with Ms Melly C Tenorio
738 DZRB AM Band, 8 to 9 evening class, Monday to Friday

 A cozy farm house, Floridablanca, Pampanga

 Garden nipa kiosk;  Coeds pose before a typical Filipino home (IRRI Museum, UPLB Laguna)

Bahay Kubo (My Nipa Hut) is one of the most loved traditional songs. All kids in my generation learned it by heart in the elementary.  Not so many kids today are familiar with it.  It is good to rediscover the beauty and lesson of the song.   

Bahay kubo, hahit munti, ang halaman doon ay sari-sari. Singkamas at talong, sigidillas at mani, sitao, batao, patani. Kondol, patola, upo, kalabasa, at sa ka mayroon pa, labanos, mustasa.  Sibuyas, kamatis, bawang at luya, at ang paligidligid ay linga.

These are main features of the song.   

·         There are eighteen (18) plants, which are indigenous, mostly native varieties. (biodiversity)

·         Many of the plants have medicinal values and are effective home remedies for common ailments (luya, sibuyas, bawang).

·         The four kinds of vegetables are represented: leafy (mustasa), fruit (kamatis, talong, kalabasa), root (labanos, singkamas), seed (linga, patani, mani).

·         Spices and condiments are included in the list (linga, luya, bawang)

My Nipa Hut, painting by the author 

The plants have different planting and harvesting schedules, thus enhancing whole year round supply of vegetables, and the use of resources and family labor.

The plants have different growing types or habits which means they occupy specific places and have space allocations. (viny, herb, bush).

·         Nutrition-wise they provide the basic requirements for growing up and good health.

·         The ambiance projected by the scene is green, tranquil, clean, shady and cool (environment-friendly).

·         The garden exudes a feeling of self-sufficiency and offers a potential for livelihood.

·         Simplicity is the key to a contented life (with least energy consumption, and amenities).

·         Such a scene expands the imagination to include a backyard fishpond, chicken coop, orchard trees and ornamental plants, among others – all of these contribute to the enrichment of the Bahay Kubo, without modifying its basic concept and structure. 

Folk wisdom tells us how good it is to live simply and naturally, eat properly, stay young, healthy and active, save and earn money, depend less on energy and imported goods, and enjoy being at home with the family. Bahay Kubo takes us closer to nature, to appreciate our culture, and leads us to the inner calling for peace, quiet and joy.  

Look what the tides can bring!

Dr Abe V Rotor
Living with Nature School on Blog

Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid with Ms Melly C Tenorio

738 DZRB AM Band, 8 to 9 evening class, Monday to Friday

 ]

Beach erosion and siltation

  

Sand dune down the sea into a shoal,

     a mudflat as soft as quicksand;

brown after rain, grey in summer sun,

    rolling with the tide like a ball.  

Beer bottle rolling with the wave and tide.

It is like lullaby rolling back and forth;

     who cares, not even its owner -

Big Brother seemingly blind and deaf,

     living off on his small brother.  

Beer can strewn on the beach 

Among footprints in the sand a victim,

     crushed in promenade and fun;

once loved and served with great esteem 

    awaits a kindhearted man.  

The sea is still at its ebb

The sea is quiet in its ebb, but laughter

     on its lapping and hissing shore;

drifting weeds  and tools of human toil

    remind me of human nature.  

Garment washed on the beach

Whose garment this is, I may not know,

     it reminds me of a holy man though;

stripped and condemned to die, and lo!

     I find him here where the tide is low.  ~

NOTE: Photos taken by the author with Sony Cybershot digital camera, at Morong, Bataan, April 25, 2014 

Wild food plants or “survival plants”

Dr Abe V Rotor
Living with Nature School on Blog
Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid with Ms Melly C Tenorio
738 DZRB AM Band, 8 to 9 evening class, Monday to Friday

  Survivors of war, plane crash, shipwreck have a lot to lessons to share, among them are edible plants that kept them alive. 

• Talisay (Terminalia catappa) bears nut like fruits that contain small seeds that taste like almond. 

• Tibig (Ficus nota.) The fruits are edible and have a good flavor.  They are soft and fleshy when mature. 

Banana blossom (Puso ng saging)

• Isis (Ficus odorata) or isis because its rough leaves are used as natural sandpaper for utensil and wood.  Its fruits like tibig are edible.   

• Balleba (Vallisnera) is an aquatic plant growing in clear streams, ponds and lakes, whose leaves appear like ribbon, hence it is also called ribbon grass. The leaves are gathered and served fresh with tomato, onion and salt.

Papait (Mollogo oppositifolia)

• Apulid or water chestnut.  Our native apulid produces very small bulbs - only one-third the size of the Chinese or Vietnamese apulid.  It grows wild in places where water is present year round. It is boiled, peeled and served.  

• Aratiles (Muntingia calabura) bears plenty of tiny berries which are red to violet when ripe. It is sweet and somewhat aromatic.  

                                           Himba-ba-o or Alokong 
                           (Alleanthus luzonicus)

• Wild sinkamas (Pacchyrhizus erosus) has enlarged roots which may remain in the soil even after the plants has dried up in summer. It is gathered and eaten raw. 

• Urai (Amaranthus spinosus). The plant become spiny as it matures. It is the very young plant that is gathered as vegetable. 

• Mulberry (Morus alba). Its leaves are the chief food of silkworm.  The fruits when ripe are purple to black, and while very small are juicy and fairly sweet. 

Bagbagkong, flower vegetable 

• Taro (Colocasia sp.). The Palawan gabi grows twice the height of man and produces a large corm.  There is a technique in preparing and cooking the corm. Or making starch out of it.  The key is thorough cleaning and cooking.  

• Gulasiman (Portulaca oleracea) has succulent leaves and stems which are cooked as vegetables.  



• Talinum ((Talinum triangulare). The succulent stems and leaves are gathered as vegetable.  

Saluyot tops (Corchorus olitorius) 

 .          Edible Fern (Pako’) - Athyrium esculentum); gulasiman or ngalog (Portulaca)
 Male  flowers of squash (Cucurbita maxima) 

 • Alugbati (Basella rubra) is a twining plant with reddish stems and leaves. The tops are gathered as vegetable which is mucilaginous when cooked.

Other wild vegetables:
1. Young leaves of cassava or kamoteng kahoy (Manihot utilissima)
2. Petals of Gumamela (Hibiscus rosasinensis)
3. Young leaves of kamkamote (Ipomea triloba)
4. Amaranth or spinach (Amaranthus spinosus) - seedling stage
5. Flowers of madre de cacao or kakawate (Gliricida sepium)
6. Corm of banana (Musa sapientum)
7. Ubod or pith of maguey (Agave cantala)
8. Talinum (Talinum quadriculoare)

Male  flowers of squash (Cucurbita maxima

9. Flower of katuray (Sesbania grandiflora)
10. Corm of Palawan gabi (Colocasia sp)



11.    Edible Fern (Pako’) - Athyrium esculentum)
12.  Gulasiman or ngalog (Portulaca)

Dampalit (Sesuvium portulacastrum)  

Often referred to as wild food plants or hunger crops, these and many others, perhaps hundreds, provide an alternative source of food and nutrition on the grassroots in times of poor harvest and calamities like drought. Being native or indigenous they survive extreme conditions of the environment, they need very little care, if at all. Ethnobotany, the study of plants and their uses in primitive societies, is gaining recognition in the light of economic crisis. It offers a solution to poverty and malnutrition. Culinary delight comes in various food preparations from native vegetables.