When we came back home in the late 80s, I went into orchid raising to tide us over while my medical practice was still starting. In just 2,000 square meters, I was able to supply cut orchids to flower shops in Manila. This provided for a comfortable life at that time.
Ironically, it was the iconic Waling-waling that gave rise to the orchid industries of Hawaii and Thailand, providing them with the genetic material of our majestic Vanda sanderiana . From it, they developed thousands of hybrids that are highly desired all over the world. This was evident in the latest edition of the Taiwan International Orchid Show, which I attended with friends just this weekend. This show attracts visitors from all over the world and generates more sales for Taiwan. As I viewed the winning exhibits, it struck me that three of the 10 major winners were Philippine species, while four others were hybrids descended from our orchids.