B.C. man rediscovers his Filipino heritage through houseplants

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 circlewhen he began caring for houseplants during theCOVID-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 himback to his heritage, which he sayshe previously tried to suppress.

To share his discoveries, he created theonline 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'sBurnaby 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 exampleis 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 iniconic cultural items.

TheBarong Tagalog, aformal item of clothing,for example, is a sheer, thin white garment made of fibres frompineapple 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 Filipinohelped her rediscover her heritage.

"Scrolling through his page, I would often come across tidbits of information Ididn't know about the history of the Philippines in pre-colonial times," said Leoncio.

Shesays plant care alsogoes 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 starchused 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 hisfamily keptFilipino traditions at home, Macapugas says it was hard to be proud ofhis 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 thathe got reacquainted with Filipino culture and language. By the time he took up plant care, he sayshe found many things to be proud of.

Macapugassays hehopes Foliage Filipino will helpothers 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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