B.C. man rediscovers his Filipino heritage through houseplants
Foliage Filipino founder Maycko Macapugas explores how houseplants are used in Filipino culture and customs
Maycko Macapugas's love of plants has deep roots in his upbringing. When he was a toddler, his family immigrated to Mission, B.C., from the Philippines after his father was sponsored to work as a landscaper.
"Right off the bat, plants were always one of our keys to getting into Canada," he said.
Fast forward to 2020, his affinity for plants would come full circle when he began caring for houseplants during the COVID-19 lockdown.
As he explored the origins of different flora, Macapugas found that many properties of houseplants are present in Filipino cultures and traditions — taking him back to his heritage, which he says he previously tried to suppress.
To share his discoveries, he created the online platform, Foliage Filipino on Instagram.
"Foliage Filipino is a platform for understanding how plants are a connection to the Filipino heritage and what that can mean for wellness and mindfulness," Macapugas described.
'Many houseplants are endemic to the Philippines'
Dozens of plants bedeck the living room of Macapugas's Burnaby apartment.
"Many of these houseplants are actually endemic to the Philippines," he said. "Plants have this intense integration in the Filipino culture that we never really talk about or never understand and quite often take for granted."
One example is Ficus elastica, a popular ornamental plant also known as the 'rubber fig' which Filipinos use for medicinal purposes against rashes and wounds.
Macapugas also notes the presence of plants in iconic cultural items.
The Barong Tagalog, a formal item of clothing, for example, is a sheer, thin white garment made of fibres from pineapple or banana leaves. Most are hand-stitched and embroidered, often with plant motifs.
Other Filipinos reconnecting with their identity have responded to Foliage Filipino with similar experiences of self-discovery.
Pauline Leoncio, who has been friends with Macapugas for three years, moved to Canada when she was a year old. She says Foliage Filipino helped her rediscover her heritage.
"Scrolling through his page, I would often come across tidbits of information I didn't know about the history of the Philippines in pre-colonial times," said Leoncio.
She says plant care also goes hand-in-hand with Filipino nurturing and hospitable attitudes.
"It's cool to see the parallels between taking care of the world around you,and how that's very much ingrained in how we take care of each other as people."
Among the foliage sprawled in his home, one plant reminds Macapugas of his childhood: the sago palm.
"I keep this around because I love dessert," he said. The plant produces the starch used in a traditional Filipino treat, aptly called 'sago'.
"I thought this was just some random plant at first, but then [my mother] told me. She's the basis for a lot of my plant knowledge."
Rekindling Filipino pride
Though his family kept Filipino traditions at home, Macapugas says it was hard to be proud of his heritage, growing up in a predominantly white neighbourhood.
"I was trying to find ways to assimilate, to find a different identity," he said. "I didn't want to show my heritage and how potentially I felt like a second-class citizen during that time."
It was not until his undergraduate studies that he got reacquainted with Filipino culture and language. By the time he took up plant care, he says he found many things to be proud of.
Macapugas says he hopes Foliage Filipino will help others better understand their heritage.
"What we have as people is tied to plants, and it's tied to something that could actually be a huge mechanism or a vehicle for mental health, for wellness and for just understanding the self on a deeper level."
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