II.

B RELATED LITERATURE
Discovery of waling-waling

From the writings of Rence Chan (2017), he stated that Mr. Carl Roebelin, a
European discovered the orchid in July 14, 1880. He worked as a plant collector
for Frederick Sander, who had the largest orchid plant nursery in Europe, during
that time. Heinrich G. Reichenbach described this orchid species in 1882, in the
Gardeners’ Chronicle, and he gave it the name of Vanda sanderiana in tribute to
Mr. Sander.

Vanda sanderiana is endemic to Mindanao in the provinces

of Davao, Cotabato, and Zamboanga where it is found on the trunks
of dipterocarp trees at elevations below 500 meters. Over-collected, the plant is
considered rare in nature. It is often used in hybridization.

A Special Flower

Waling-waling or Vanda Sanderiana is dubbed as the “Queen of Philippine

Orchids”. It is also worshipped as Diwata (fairy) by the native Bagobos and
discovered in the year 1882. It is the rarest, most beautiful, and most expensive
orchid among thousands of species that can be found in the country. It is also one
of the largest species of orchids in the world. Out of 8,000 species of flowering
plants around the world, 3,500 species can be found only in the country. The
discovery of this wild flower has prompted cultivation of colorful and attractive
hybrids that are now part of the world’s multibillion-dollar orchid and cut flower
industry.
Feature

Waling-waling is a flower of the orchid family and it is famous for its large
and colorful hybrids. It is showy, very attractive, and offers a very spectacular
sight when it is in full bloom. The flower has wide and colorful petals. “The
flowers are flat, to eight centimeters across; the sepals and petals are obviate,
bluish pink, with buff-yellow, stain, and dull-crimson reticulations on the lateral
sepals; the lip is small and concave, purple-red at base, strongly recurved and
brownish purple at apex; with three prominent keels. This lovely flower grows on
the trunks of tall hardwood tropical trees. This flower also abound in the tropical
forest of Mount Apo and its surrounding areas. It blooms only once a year,
between the months of July and October, and it easily propagates.

Socio- Cultural Importance

Manobo , Bagobo and lumads are some of the ethnic tribes in Mindanao
which had recorded folktales and myths about the waling-waling orchid. The
Diangan -Bagobo called the legendary air plant as waring-waring which , Roebelin
was told , meant ” beautiful goddess” The Diangans who lived around the foothills
of the big mountain had another name for it: Diwatang madayaw. Literally
translate, it meant “ beautiful lady from heaven.”

Legal Acts

In 2004, there had been a motion in the House of Representatives of the

Philippines to declare the "Waling-waling" as the country's national flower,
replacing the Sampaguita. In 2013, a bill was passed by the Philippine Senate
declaring the Waling-waling as a national flower alongside the
Sampaguita. However, the House Bill 5655 was vetoed by President Aquino citing
that there are other means to promote the protection and preservation of the
Waling Waling Orchid without declaring it a second national flower.

Preservation

Waling-waling is under grave threat of being extinct in the wild and is listed
as endangered under CITES. Logging and rampant harvesting from the wild orchid
had depleted the genetic pool. Luckily all is not lost, Some of the serious orchid
breeders like Mr. Jaime Chua from Busay, Cebu, Mr. Ramon Calado of Antipolo,
Mrs. Charita Puentespina ,Sally Luenberger from Davao, Ms. Vangie Go , Mr. Niel
Maceda, Mr. Vicente Chin Jr. ( Calamba, Laguna),Dr. Olivia Sanchez ( Laguna) Mr.
Jun Golamco, Mr. Abdullah Aquino, Mr. Emilio Yap III, Mr. Niel Ganigan, Mr.
Angelo Pagdato , Mr. Ching Chua are just few of the people which have some
grown specimen sized plants not just for personal reasons but some of these are
for breeding purposes.

Some of the well-known orchid nurseries in Thailand, Hawaii, Taiwan, Malaysia,

Singapore and Indonesia have some Vanda sanderiana grown at their farms.
Some of these orchids were imported during the 1950’s up to the late 1970’s and
are responsible for breeding some of the outstanding clones and vanda hybrids
which accounts to almost 80% in the industry.