I had what you might call a simple, very Filipino childhood.

Growing up, the internet was non-existent so playing piko & patintero, and going on picnics at Parks & Wildlife was probably the equivalent of social media. Apples, grapes, and oranges were considered “special” treats because tropical fruits like lanzones, makopa (wax apple), and duhat (black palm) were the inexpensive accessible options – in fact, they grew in our backyard. Meals at home regularly consisted of  kare-kare, mechado, bringhe, and other Pinoy dishes lovingly prepared by my Kapampangan mom. She is a pediatrician so I was almost never absent in school – there was no excuse to skip classes because I couldn’t pretend to be sick. ;D Education is very important to my parents. My dad, a historian and archaeologist, would give my brother and me factual background lectures of just about any place (or anything) we encounter, and always emphasized the importance of preserving the Filipino heritage. 

These days, it feels like many of us are more familiar with what’s foreign than what’s ours, and I’m 100% guilty of this too. I listen to J‑pop, watch K‑dramas, and take selfies with cherry blossoms. A few years ago, I wouldn’t have been able to name native flowers like salingbobog or katmon, but I would’ve recognized a rose or peony right away.

The internet has made the world smaller, which is wonderful, but it also made me realize how easily we can forget our own stories, species, and landscapes. Remembering the backyard trees, fruits on the table, and weekend picnica slowly pulled me back to what’s here at home: our forests, our wildlife.

If drawing from those memories can contribute even a small part in protecting and celebrating our culture and biodiversity, then I’ve done my family proud, and my work is worth doing. <3

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