DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/23 June 2026)— After more than a decade of legislative attempts, the Senate has approved on third and final reading a bill declaring the waling-waling (Vanda sanderiana) as the National Orchid of the Philippines.
Senate Bill No. 2092, principally authored by Senator Loren Legarda, was approved on 17 June with 13 affirmative votes. The measure seeks to formally recognize the orchid, long known as the “Queen of Philippine Orchids,” as a national symbol.
But with the symbolic recognition, the measure also raises questions surrounding conservation,
particularly in Mindanao, and the future of a flower that originated in the island’s forests yet has grown increasingly difficult to find in the wild.
A bill more than a decade in the making
The proposal marks the latest chapter in a legislative effort dating back more than a decade. During the 17th Congress, House Bill No. 7021 sought to declare the waling-waling the National
Flower of the Philippines, replacing the sampaguita. The measure described the orchid as a species “endemic to the forests of Davao, Sultan Kudarat and other parts of Mindanao.”
In the current Congress, Legarda initially filed Senate Bill No. 823, which would have declared the waling-waling a national flower alongside the sampaguita. In her explanatory note, she described the flower as “uniquely Filipino, endemic, culturally revered, historically significant, and ecologically at risk, its formal recognition reinforces our commitment to conserving and protecting our biodiversity.”
The version eventually approved by the Senate took a different approach. A copy of Senate Bill No. 2092, approved on third reading on 17 June declaring the waling-waling (Vanda sanderiana) as the proposed National Orchid of the Philippines.
Instead of naming the flower a second national flower, Senate Bill No. 2092 declares it the National Orchid of the Philippines while retaining the sampaguita’s status as the national flower.
The measure also assigns the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to
lead conservation and propagation efforts and tasks the National Museum with promoting the flower’s scientific and cultural significance.
Recognition and conservation
For orchid advocates, the Senate’s approval is both a source of pride and a reminder of the
work still required to protect the species.
“We’re proud and grateful. For Davao’s floriculture community, this is long overdue recognition. The waling-waling has always been our queen, and now the nation officially honors it too,”Evelyn Laviña of the Floriculture Industry of Davao, Inc. (FIDI) told MindaNews.
The recognition comes as conservationists continue to raise concerns about the flower’s
survival in its natural habitat.
In sponsoring an earlier version of the measure, Legarda noted that habitat destruction,
deforestation, and unsustainable collection have contributed to the decline of wild populations.
She cited observations from botanists that the species is now critically endangered and
increasingly rare in nature.
Laviña said the new designation could strengthen ongoing conservation efforts.
“It gives conservation real weight. National status means stronger protection, more funding for
propagation and reintroduction, and better enforcement against illegal collection. Recognition
helps, but the work continues in the forests and nurseries,” she said.
She noted that while wild populations remain threatened by habitat loss and past poaching, growers in Davao have helped keep the species alive through cultivation.
“In the wild, it’s already rare and threatened due to habitat loss and past poaching. But in
cultivation, Davao growers have kept it alive. We can now focus on reviving production and
bringing it back to the wild through responsible propagation,” she added.
For Laviña, symbolic recognition and conservation should go hand in hand.
“Symbolism builds pride and awareness, which we need. But pride must lead to action. The law
gives us the title. Our job is to make sure the flower still exists in Mindanao’s forests for future
generations,” she said.
She added that commercial propagation also has a role to play.
“We need also to commercialize [it] so as not to be extinct and hybridize but conserve the
original genes,” she said.
A Mindanao flower becomes a national symbol
The topic also raises questions of regional identity. The waling-waling is endemic to Mindanao and has long been associated with Davao’s cultural and ecological identity. Legarda’s explanatory note describes it as a cultural and ecological icon of Mindanao and notes its historic association with Davao City’s former Apo Duwaling Festival, a precursor to today’s Kadayawan Festival.
Long before lawmakers proposed declaring the waling-waling a national orchid, the flower had
already become one of Davao’s most recognizable cultural symbols — appearing in festivals,
tourism campaigns, and other initiatives. Elevating it to national-symbol status reflects the
centrality of Mindanao’s ecology to national identity.
Laviña said the flower represents “resilience and beauty.”
“It’s tied to our Indigenous heritage, our identity as the orchid capital, and our belief that even
delicate things can thrive here with care. It’s Mindanao — rare, valuable, and worth protecting,” she said.
Whether the bill ultimately becomes law will depend on congressional action and presidential
approval. But its passage in the Senate has already reignited discussion about the relationship
between recognition and responsibility.
For advocates, declaring the waling-waling the country’s national orchid is a source of pride. At
the same time, they argue that honoring the flower nationally should come with a commitment to conserve the flower by protecting the forests, ecosystems, and communities from which it
emerged. (Bea Gatmaytan/MindaNews)
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