Page 19 - BSAM 2017 Q1

Tugas: The Next Sensation in Philippine Bonsai
Tugas is certainly a ne addition to the growing list of ne bonsai materials from the Philippines. So far, there is no archival record of Tugas bonsai in the 1980s. However, the growing popularity of bonsai art in southern Philippines, particularly in the South Cotabato - Sarangani provinces, led to the search of available indigenous materials. By 1998, a local bonsai exhibit and competition was held in General Santos City. One of the show’s organizers, Mr. Ritzie Bugante, current President of Mindanao Bonsai Creator (MBC), con rms that some of the winning entries were Tugas bonsai. However, South Cotabato - Sarangani was also a rich source of the highly popular and coveted Bantigue (Pemphis acidula)—considered by many to be the darling of Philippine Bonsai. e introduction of Tugas in national bonsai competitions, coupled with exports to bonsai artists and collectors, slowly merited attention and interest on its unique and outstanding qualities.
Further evidence of Tugas’ rising popularity in Filipino bonsai circles was displayed in the last BCI 2016, Bonsai Beyond Borders Convention held in Makati, as some Tugas bonsai were recipients of Gold and Bronze awards. As further cultivation techniques are perfected and the bonsai mature, it is only natural that more and more Tugas bonsai will dominate competitions. ‘Tugas sa Bato’ or “Tugas from the stone,” is a commonplace local
name for Tugas. Perhaps future champions will cement and honor this symbiotical relationship of Tugas and Stone, establishing Tugas as a cornerstone and foundation of Filipino and World Bonsai.
Top; ‘Ponce’, Tugas, Vitex trifolia, 63 cm, by Herden Pedrajas, named in honor of his godfather and mentor, Poncevic Ceballos.
Bottom; Tugas forest, 87 cm, by Linus Villanueva of Tarlac (Northern Philippines).
January/February/March 2017 | BCI | 17