Bonsai

The UP Bonsai Garden

This article is about the UP Bonsai Garden. To learn more about its founder, Modesto Manglicmot, refer to this article.

Overview

The UP Bonsai Garden, also known as Mr. Modesto Manglicmot’s Bonsai Garden, is a 5000-square meter garden filled with bonsai located within the perimeter of the University of the Philippines, Diliman. The entrance to this bonsai garden is located along Delos Reyes Street and is just a 5-minute walk from the UP College of Architecture. (Refer to the attached map)

The UP Bonsai Garden is currently being maintained by Manuel “Manny” Manglicmot, nephew of the late Modesto “Modi” Manglicmot whom the garden was named after.

Prior to his death, Modesto Manglicmot was the main caretaker of the bonsai garden. He did the landscape design and the cultivated numerous bonsais that eventually became part of the UP Bonsai Garden. He even donated around 175 bonsais from his own private collection to the UP Bonsai Garden as part of a memorandum of agreement between himself and the University of the Philippines, signed on April 4, 2000. Aside from bonsais, the garden also exhibits other species of plants personally cultivated by Modesto Manglicmot, such as palm trees, ferns, and vines. At one point, the number of bonsais housed in the UP Bonsai Garden reached 400. They were there for the public’s appreciation. The garden was open to the public any time of the day and the entrance was free.

Modesto Manglicmot’s bonsais were really spectacular and were sought after by many collectors. Although large amounts of money, even reaching millions, were offered to purchase his bonsais, they have never been for sale. Modesto Manglicmot were attached to his bonsais and never once thought of selling them. Instead of selling his bonsais, he prefers giving them as gifts to his closest friends or donating them for fund raising event.

Nowadays, around 200 bonsais remain in the UP Bonsai Garden. Many of Modesto Manglicmot’s bonsais either died or were taken away by his wife after his death in 2012. Only a few of his award winning bonsais remain in the grounds of the UP Bonsai Garden.

References: Pineda, Haidee. UPD's Bonsai Garden. From http://www.upd.edu.ph/whatsup/venue.html

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Bulaong, Carmen Bettina (Professor, College of Architecture). Lecture on Japanese Architecture. 17 February 2012. Virtudazo, Maricar. UP Diliman Bonsai Garden breathes new life to a fading art form. From http://www.noypi.ph/index.php/featured/5080-up-diliman-bonsai-garden-breathes-new-life-to-a-fading-art-form.html