In observance of National Language Month and History Month, the Department of Foreign Affairs reintroduces to the public the Flora de Filipinas, a collection of illustrations on Philippine flora that was diligently compiled by scientist Fr. Manuel Blanco, OSA and was first published in 1837.

An illustrated edition, which resulted to a five-volume work published between 1877 and 1883, features the drawings of Fray Mariano Fabregas, OSA; Fray Miguel Lucio, OFM; Agustin Saez, Ramon Santa Coloma, and Emma Vidal. Also included are the illustrations made by Filipino artists Cayetano Arguelles, Francisco Domingo, brothers Regino and Rosendo Garcia, Jose Lorenzo Guerrero, Isidro Llado, F. Pardo, Felix Martinez, R. L Salamanca, Miguel Zaragoza at Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo.

Filipinos can now access rare historical sources, downloadable in hi-resolution and for free, like the five-volume opus of Fr. Blanco (https://tinyurl.com/y5vf7nfg), thanks to the generosity of the Biblioteca Nacional de España (http://bdh-rd.bne.es/).

Featured here are the 15 laminas or botanical illustrations from Fr. Blanco. The DFA, in cooperation with Project Saysay, curated this series that highlights the role of the selected plants in Filipino society, culture, and history.  Indigenous names are also written in baybayin, as DFA’s humble contribution in popularizing the use of one of the ancient scripts of the country. 

On 22 August 2020, a lecture will be conducted about the said ancient scripts, coupled with a workshop, via the official Facebook page of DFA, in cooperation with Project Saysay Inc. as part of DFA’s cultural diplomacy efforts and to strengthen the cultural confidence of the Filipinos, here and abroad.

The Flora de Filipinas series is an official activity of the 2021 Quincentennial Commemorations in the Philippines.