Useful Plants of the Alangan Mangyan of Halcon Range, Mindoro Island, Philippines

Abstract

Quantitative studies on plant use by the local people have been slowly growing in the Philippines, yet the application of this field has not been fully utilized in a Philippine setting. This study documented the useful plants of the Alangan Mangyan community in Paitan, Naujan, Mindoro Island, Philippines. Based from the face-to-face interview of 60 key informant interviews, this study recorded 199 local names of plants classified into different uses. Results showed that there were more cultivated than wild plant species for food, fodder, medicine, and firewood use categories, while more wild than cultivated species were recorded for construction and timber use categories. While being cultivators of their swidden farms, it was also observed that they did not completely abandon foraging in the forests, as they identify useful plants from their forests. Moreover, the present knowledge on the use of plants is reflective of the changing subsistence strategies over time due to population pressure and influence of the outside social environment. The Alangan knowledge on plant use is vital in biodiversity conservation of the island. Thus, this knowledge must be considered in the formation of inclusive local policies to safeguard the sustainability of their practices. Intergenerational transmission of their knowledge on plant use is also critical in preserving the Alangan culture.