Look: Palawan Cherry Blossoms Are Blooming Once Again in BGC
Make sure to check them out when you're in the area.
(SPOT.ph) Just like clockwork, summer is here once again. Aside from the sweltering heat and perfect beach days, the season is also the most colorful. Many flowering trees show off their blooms, making for a colorful shower of petals every time the wind blows.
Case in point, Bonifacio Global City is currently experiencing a pink flurry of petals courtesy of the cherry blossom-like Balayong trees. It's that time of the year once more. The Palawan Cherry Blossoms are in full bloom. There is no need to go to Japan for your flower-powered main character moment. Here's the story behind BGC's Balayong Blooms.
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The story behind BGC's Palawan Cherry Blossoms:
A quick walk around BGC, and you'll spot towering trees with delicate pink flowers. Every summer, these Palawan cherry blossom trees, locally known as balayong, give the business district a touch of pink, giving the bustling area a blushing summer glow.
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BGC's Balayong bloom is thanks to extensive pre-planning. In 2012, when BGC was still an up-and-coming CBD, the Bonifacio Global City Estate Association (BGCEA), the folks tasked with the care and upkeep of BGC’s grounds and landscapes, collaborated with many organizations to create a master plan detailing the layout and provisions for the CBD. This master plan included beautification and landscape provisions.
The vision was to line BGC's main thoroughfares with flowering trees to enhance the urban landscape—because God knows we didn't need another purely concrete, urban jungle. BGCEA coordinated with different organizations to identify the best flora to do so. Biodiversity and sustainability were key considerations in choosing what trees to plant. They wanted healthy, long-living plants that would not pose any threat to the existing ecosystem. Eventually, the team settled on a mix of native and non-native tree species, which included the likes of Narra, Siar, Putat, Katmon, Fire Trees, Bitaog, Paperbark Trees, and the Balayong.
Today, 62% of all trees in BGC are native species (mostly the Narra tree), and part of that percentage is roughly 175 Palawan Cherry Blossom trees distributed across different common areas in BGC.
If you're going to do hanami or even a tree walk around BGC to spot the Balayong, you'd want to head to 28th Street. Planted along this main road in BGC are roughly 89 Palawan Cherry Blossom trees. The next spot you'd want to hit up would be near 9th Avenue and 7th Avenue, with 63 and 11 trees, respectively. Other areas where you could spot them include Terra 28th and Track 30th.
As of writing, not all these trees are mature. Some Balayong trees were planted later; as such, some may not be flowering right now. Balayong trees typically mature at around four years, so those planted in more recent developments might need more time. Once fully mature, Balayong trees typically flower from late March to May, showcasing their bright pink flowers that resemble the Japanese Sakura. But just like their foreign counterparts, these flowers turn pale white after a month or so, signaling the end of their bloom.
Where can you find Palawan cherry blossom trees:
As the name suggests, the Palawan cherry blossom tree is prevalent in Palawan Island. There is even a Balayong Festival held in the region during the month of March to celebrate the tree's peak blooming season. The trees can be found all over Palawan; but for a sure Balayong sighting, you can head to the Balayong People's Park in Puerto Princessa City, where the local government has planted several trees to beautify the park.
Recently, the Palawan Cherry Blossom has also found its way to more urban settings. In Manila, some balayong trees are planted on the Malacañang Palace grounds facing the Pasig River. Several trees are also planted within the area of the Manila Seedling Bank Foundation in Quezon City.
For more information, visit Bonifacio Global City's Facebook page.
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