Santos, Kiesha Renee B.

CE133-4 – B06

Cite examples of softwood and hardwood use here in the Philippines.

I. Hardwood:
1. Acacia (Acacia confusa)

 Acacia confusa is a
perennial tree native to
South-East Asia. Some
common names for it are
acacia petit feuille, small
Philippine acacia, Formosa
Acacia (Taiwan acacia) and
Formosan koa. It grows to
a height of 15m. The tree
has become very common
in many tropical Pacific
areas, including Hawaii,
where the species is
considered invasive.
 Its uses include chemical products, environmental management and food
and drink. The bark may be ground into a powder and saturated into the
water to create a tea or maybe spread onto various foods as a spice and
taste enhancer. The wood has a density of about 0.75 g/cm³.In Taiwan,
its wood is used to make support beams for underground mines. The
wood is also converted to charcoal for family use.

2. Almaciga (Agathis philippinensis)

 Agathis philippinensis (in

Tagalog: Almasiga, Almaciga
or Dayungon) is a species of
large Agathis tree native to
the Philippines, Sulawesi
and Halmahera, where it
occurs in upland tropical
rainforest at 450-2,200 m
altitude, rarely as low as
250 m in northern Luzon.
 The tree is commonly used
throughout the Philippines,
Melanesia and Australasia as
an enrichment crop. Despite
being limited by altitude
constraints it is tolerant of
most different soil densities,
though it requires good
 drainage and prefers acidic soils. It has a special tolerance for shallow,
infertile soils. The tree is therefore used to support areas which do not
experience adequate crop growth and is also planted inside of existing
plantations to replace existing trees.

3. Apitong (Dipterocarpus grandiflorus)

 Dipterocarpus grandiflorus is a critically

endangered common medium hardwood
tree in South-East Asia and India. Its
wood is used to produce good quality
charcoal, paper pulp, and timber sold
under the Keruing designation. Its gum is
used locally as a waterproofing varnish.
The tree itself is very useful for nitrogen-
fixing, erosion control, soil improvement,
and watershed regulation.
 Apitong is commonly found in the
Northern Negros Forest Reserve in Negros
Occidental and is highly protected.
II. Softwood

1. Gmelina (Gmelina Arborea)

 Gmelina is a fast-growing, unarmed,

moderately sized to large deciduous
tree with a wide spreading canopy
with numerous branches forming a
large shady crown
 It is used as medicinal in the
Philippines. The bark, leaves and
roots contain traces of alkaloids and
are used medicinally in the plants
native range. The flowers have been
used to treat leprosy and blood
diseases.
 When first cut, the heartwood is
yellowish to reddish-white, turning
light russet or yellowish-brown; it is
indistinctly demarcated from the 5 -
7cm wide band of whitish sapwood.
The grain is straight to interlocked;
the texture medium to coarse; the
wood somewhat oily to the touch; there are knots of variable sizes. The
wood is light in weight; soft to hard; very strong, susceptible to fungi, dry
wood borers and termites but said to be durable under water. The natural
durability of the wood is about 15 years.

2. Cedar Tree
 Cedar
wood is
famed
for its
scent,
but the
wood
has
other
 properties that are at least as useful as its aromatic qualities. These
characteristics have led cedar to be used in crafting everything
from roof shingles to guitars, but it is important to keep in mind
that not all cedar lumber was created equal. A given type of cedar
is usually better in a specific department than the others, making
that type more useful in particular applications.
3. Pine (Pinus)

 Pines are among

the most
commercially
important tree
species valued for
their timber
and wood
pulp throughout
the world. In
temperate and
tropical regions,
they are fast-
growing softwood
s that grow in
relatively dense
stands, their
acidic decaying
needles inhibiting
the sprouting of
competing
hardwoods.
Commercial pines are grown in plantations for timber that is denser
and therefore more durable than spruce (Picea). Pine wood is
widely used in high-value carpentry items such as furniture,
window frames, panelling, floors, and roofing, and the resin of
some species is an important source of turpentine.
 Because pines have no insect- or decay-resistant qualities after logging,
untreated they are generally recommended for construction purposes as
indoor use only (indoor drywall framing, for example). For outside use,
pine needs to be treated with copper azole, chromated copper arsenate or
other suitable chemical preservative.