Form 1C series January 2019

NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR CULTURE AND THE ARTS

SUBCOMMISSION ON CULTURAL HERITAGE
CULTURAL MAPPING PROGRAM
Mapping of Significant Natural Resources
Category: Plants (Flora)

LOCAL/INDIGENOUS NAME: Akasya

PHOTO: (Take a photo of the plant's habit, leaf, flower, fruit, trunk, crown)

Photo Source : Shari Ann B. Photo Source : Shari Ann B.

Photo Source: https://bit.ly/30qH1Va
Datahan, March 04, 2021 Datahan, March 04, 2021

I. BACKGROUND INFORMATION

A. OTHER COMMON NAME: Acacia, Cow tamarind,False powder puff ,Monkey pod tree ,Rain tree

B. SCIENTIFIC NAME:   Albizia saman (Jacq.) Merr.

C. CLASSIFICATION ACCORDING TO GROWTH HABIT:

[ ] SUCCULENT PLANT (HERB) [ ] SHRUB [ ] VINE [x ] TREE

D. CLASSIFICATION ACCORDING TO ORIGIN: [ x ] Endemic [ ] Native [ ] Exotic

E. HABITAT: Akasya Tree grown in waste places along roads and trails in fallow, rice paddies, etc.

F. SITE COLLECTED/SIGHTED: Purok 1 Catagdaan, Pilar, Bohol

_____________________________________________________________________________________
Significant Natural Resources (Plants)
City/Municipality of Pilar
Province of Bohol
Region VII-Central Visayas
Form 1C series January 2019

NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR CULTURE AND THE ARTS

SUBCOMMISSION ON CULTURAL HERITAGE
CULTURAL MAPPING PROGRAM
G. INDICATE VISIBILITY:

[ ] Visible in all barangays

[x ] Visible in some barangays
[ ] Not visible in the municipality but can be found in other areas
indicate the location (if known):_______________________________

H. INDICATE SEASONABILITY: [ ] ANNUAL [ ] BIENNIAL [x] PERENNIAL

II. DESCRIPTION
A. PLANT MORPHOLOGY

1. FLOWER: The flowers of Akasya Tree are pink, borne in dense, peduncled, axillary, solitary,
fascicled heads. Acacias are also distinguished by their small, often fragrant flowers, which are arranged
in compact globular or cylindrical clusters.

2. LEAVES: Acacias' distinctive leaves take the form of small finely divided leaflets that give the
leafstalk a feathery or fernlike (i.e., pinnate) appearance. It is evenly bipinnate and hairy underneath.
Pinnae are 8 to 12 and 15 centimeters long or less. Leaflets are 12 to 16 in the upper pinnae, 6 to 10 in
the lower ones, decreasing in size downward, hairy beneath, with the mid-nerve diagonal, and oblong-
rhomboid, 1.5 to 4 centimeters long.

3. FRUITS: The fruits are pods, straight, somewhat fleshy, indehiscent, 15 to 20 centimeters
long, 2 centimeters wide, with a pulpy sweet mesocarp.

B. COMMON USES:

[x] EDIBLES (indicate if vegetable, fruit, nut, beverage crop, herbs & spices)
REMARKS: None

[ x ] ORNAMENTALS (indicate if florist, landscape, lawn & turf plants )

REMARKS: The Akasya Tree tend to be attractive because of the umbrella-shaped canopy that provides
shade and beauty in the community.

[x ] MEDICINAL (indicate if used for drugs & medicines)

REMARKS: The inner bark and fresh leaves of Akasya Tree is traditionally used to treat diarrhea . The
plant also is used traditionally in intestinal diseases, stomach ache, colds and headache.

[x] OTHER USES

REMARKS: Akasya provides food and habitats for a variety of animals, insects and especially birds like

_____________________________________________________________________________________
Significant Natural Resources (Plants)
City/Municipality of Pilar
Province of Bohol
Region VII-Central Visayas
Form 1C series January 2019

NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR CULTURE AND THE ARTS

SUBCOMMISSION ON CULTURAL HERITAGE
CULTURAL MAPPING PROGRAM
“Punay”.

C. SCOPE OF USE: (Indicate if local, domestic, international, others)

In the Philippines, a decoction of the inner bark and fresh leaves is traditionally used to treat diarrhea
(Staples and Elevitch,2006). The plant is used traditionally in diarrhea, intestinal diseases, stomach ache,
colds and headache (Prasad etal.,2008).
In Pakistan infusion of leaves used as laxative. Decoction of inner bark used for diarrhea, colds, and
intestinal ailments.
In Jamaica leaf infusion used for treating blood pressure.
In Tropical Africa seeds are chewed for treating gum and throat inflammations.
In Venezuela rain tree is a traditional remedy for colds, diarrhea, headache, intestinal ailments and
stomach ache. Root decoction used as hot bath in stomach cancer. Root decoction used in hot baths for
stomach cancer.
In the West Indies, the leaf infusion is used as a laxative and seeds chewed for sore throat. The alcoholic
extract of leaves used for tuberculosis.
In Columbia, the fruit decoction is used as a sedative.

III. STORIES ASSOCIATED WITH THE PLANT

According to the informant, Mr. Antonio Balaba, long time ago at the center of the Barangay
Catagdaan, an Akasya Tree grown and gave a wide spread shadow around so the residence built a
multipurpose building near on it as a storage facility for their foods and harvests. During the Japanese
colonization period, the said storage facility was guarded by chosen residence termed as “Pagob” or
“ Tanod”.
The Akasya Tree gave an excruciating story to the Barangay because the “Pagod” who guarded
the building were unfortunately killed by the Japanese and directly thrown to the hallow trunk of the
AkasyaTree.

IV. SIGNIFICANCE

Indicate type of significance, e.g. historical, aesthetic, economic, social, political, spiritual and then explain

Historical: It served as mass grave during the Japanese Colonization period.

Aesthetic: Due to its umbrella-shaped canopy, it has a concept of cultural landscape which embraces a
diversity of manifestations of the interaction between human kind and its natural environment.

_____________________________________________________________________________________
Significant Natural Resources (Plants)
City/Municipality of Pilar
Province of Bohol
Region VII-Central Visayas
Form 1C series January 2019

NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR CULTURE AND THE ARTS

SUBCOMMISSION ON CULTURAL HERITAGE
CULTURAL MAPPING PROGRAM
Political: Stated in Municipal Ordinance No. 2008-06, Section 13, Akasya is the municipal tree which
symbolizes the strength and endurance of the municipality and its people.

Scientific: According to Stamford Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, the plant extract of Akasya possess
remarkable antioxidant and antimicrobial property. In terms of its impact in the ecosystem, Akasya
established positive impact on soil chemistry as nitrogen fixers and increase herbaceous understory
productivity. Akasya Tree holds crucial links to arthropods , such as ants,  , bees which rely on acacia
pollen  and bruchid beetles that infest seed pods .

Social: During summer, children often play Filipino games under the shade of Akasya tree.

V. CONSERVATION

A. STATUS: (Indicate if the plant is critically endangered, endangered, vulnerable, other threatened species)

Akasya is considered as one of the endangered plants in the community.

B. CONSTRAINTS/THREATS/ISSUE:

Natural Calamities, Human Activities due to urbanization

C. CONSERVATION MEASURES: (Describe the conservation measures taken at the level of the community, provincial
and/or national)

According to the Environmental Code of Pilar, Article VI, Section 74, it shall be unlawful for any
person to cut any of the trees in all areas of public domain within its jurisdiction unless cutting shall
become extremely necessary and shall result to long-term benefits for the citizens. On the other hand,
the Environmental Code of Pilar Article VI, Section 7 stated that all flora listed by the DENR as
endangered species whose existence is considered endangered and threatened shall be fully protected.
However , Akasya Tree is one of the endangered plants in Bohol , therefore it is protected and
conserved. Any person who cuts the said tree shall be punished accordingly.

VI. REFERENCES

_____________________________________________________________________________________
Significant Natural Resources (Plants)
City/Municipality of Pilar
Province of Bohol
Region VII-Central Visayas
Form 1C series January 2019

NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR CULTURE AND THE ARTS

SUBCOMMISSION ON CULTURAL HERITAGE
CULTURAL MAPPING PROGRAM
KEY INFORMANT/S: Evelyn J. Ciasico (57 Years Old, Barangay Secretary for 25 years)
Antonio L. Balaba , (73 Years old, Ex-Barangay Kagawad for 36 years)
Victorino L. Dusal ( 73 Years old, Ex- Barangay Kagawad)
Sotero M. Doydoy (79 Years Old, Ex- Barangay Kagawad)

REFERENCE/S: http://www.stuartxchange.org/Acacia

https://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Acacia+tree

http://ijrpc.com/files/6-4-18/11.pdf

https://www.academia.edu/1436314/Antioxidant_Antimicrobial_and_
Cytotoxic_Activities_of_Samanea_saman_Jacq_Merr

http://www.ijstr.org/final-print/jan2014/Extraction-And-Isolation-Of-
The-Alkaloids-From-The-Samanea-Saman-acacia-Bark-Its-Antiseptic-
Potential.pdf

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?
id=10.1371/journal.pone.0052999

NAME OF Belinda Isabel G. Dela Serna

PROFILER/MAPPER: Shari Ann B. Datahan

DATE PROFILED: March 08, 2021

Submitted by:

SHARI ANN B. DATAHAN March 09, 2021

(Full Name of Municipal Mapper) (Date)

BELINDA ISABEL G. DELA SERNA March 09, 2021

(Full Name of Municipal Mapper) (Date)

_____________________________________________________________________________________
Significant Natural Resources (Plants)
City/Municipality of Pilar
Province of Bohol
Region VII-Central Visayas
Form 1C series January 2019

NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR CULTURE AND THE ARTS

SUBCOMMISSION ON CULTURAL HERITAGE
CULTURAL MAPPING PROGRAM

Review and Editing

A. MUNICIPAL LEVEL

Remarks:

Reviewed/Edited by:

___________________________________________ ____________________
(Full Name of Municipal Mapping Coordinator/Editor) (Date)

B. CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT LEVEL

Remarks:

Reviewed/Edited by:

___________________________________________ ____________________
(Full Name of Congressional District Editor) (Date)

C. PROVINCIAL LEVEL

Remarks:

_____________________________________________________________________________________
Significant Natural Resources (Plants)
City/Municipality of Pilar
Province of Bohol
Region VII-Central Visayas
Form 1C series January 2019

NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR CULTURE AND THE ARTS

SUBCOMMISSION ON CULTURAL HERITAGE
CULTURAL MAPPING PROGRAM

Reviewed/Edited by:

___________________________________________ ____________________
(Full Name of Provincial Editor) (Date)

_____________________________________________________________________________________
Significant Natural Resources (Plants)
City/Municipality of Pilar
Province of Bohol
Region VII-Central Visayas