Bago city: The latest sighting of the Rafflesia speciosa, one of the world's largest flowered plants endemic to the Philippines, inside the Mt. Kanlaon Natural Park has been confirmed by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources - Negros Island Region (DENR-NIR).
According to Philippines News Agency, with a diameter of 40.5 cm, the endangered plant species was found on July 2 by park ranger Israel Malunes and members of the Kanlaon Green Brigade in the area of Barangay Ilijan in Bago City, Negros Occidental. Photos of the Rafflesia speciosa being checked and measured by Malunes were posted by the DENR-NIR on Facebook.
"This remarkable finding is a reminder that even amid volcanic unrest, the park remains a vital sanctuary for rare and unique biodiversity. May this inspire us all to continue protecting, conserving, and preserving our natural heritage for future generations," Malunes stated. In 2024, the Rafflesia speciosa was also documented in neighboring Barangay Mailum. DENR Administrative Order 2026-20 lists the Rafflesia speciosa, which is found in Negros and Panay islands, as endangered.
Kanlaon Volcano, currently under Alert Level 2 or increasing unrest, is located within the Mt. Kanlaon Natural Park, a protected area considered the last frontier of Negros' forest. The sighting of the bloom in Negros Occidental coincided with a major conservation milestone, the successful ex situ (off-site) cultivation of the Rafflesia speciosa.
On July 2, the DENR - Biodiversity Management Bureau reported a breakthrough in a newly published paper by Dr. Jeanmaire Molina, associate professor of Biology at Pace University in New York, and lead author of the study titled "Growing a plant you cannot see: ex situ propagation of the endoparasite Rafflesia speciosa to strengthen in situ conservation" in the Sibbaldia: The International Journal of Botanic Garden Horticulture.
The Biodiversity Management Bureau noted in a Facebook post that the study marks the first successful cultivation of Rafflesia in the Western Hemisphere, a significant advancement for one of the world's most extraordinary and threatened plants. The propagated material originated from Rafflesia speciosa populations in Miagao, Iloilo.
Often called the "panda of the plant world," Rafflesia spends nearly its entire life hidden inside its host vine, with no visible leaves, stems, or roots, making it exceptionally difficult to study and propagate, the DENR - Biodiversity Management Bureau added.
