Elusive Jade Vine blooms in Calanasan, Apayao

Calanasan, Apayao – A rare jade vine (Strongylodon macrobotrys) has been discovered in the forested areas of Calanasan, Apayao, highlighting the province’s rich biodiversity and the importance of its forest ecosystem.

The jade vine, locally known as “Tayabak,” is endemic to the Philippines’ rainforests in Luzon, Samar, and Mindoro. Its rare blooms and reliance on fruit bats for pollination make every wild sighting a significant event for conservation and biodiversity monitoring.

The species is becoming increasingly rare due to deforestation and the declining population of fruit bats, its primary pollinators. Although it has not yet been globally assessed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), it is listed as endangered under Philippine conservation laws.

According to the official Facebook page of the Municipality of Calanasan, personnel from the Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office (MENRO), along with forest guards, discovered clusters of the vine in the remote barangays of Tanglagan and Langnao while conducting routine monitoring.

Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Officer Sarah Mae Batil said that while previous sightings of the vine have been recorded, this marks the first time it has been observed in full bloom.

“We have documented this in past years, but it is only now that we found it in perfect bloom,” she said in a statement to national media.

Featured on the Philippine five-peso coin, the jade vine is considered a national treasure, renowned for its striking turquoise-green hanging flowers—some measuring over a meter long. Its presence signals a healthy and biodiverse ecosystem in Calanasan.

Meanwhile, authorities urge the public to report sightings of wild flora to MENRO and emphasize that plants should not be collected, disturbed, or removed from their natural habitat, as doing so could threaten the survival of this already endangered species.