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.
History
Modesto Manglicmot’s Bonsai Garden was not initially located in the University of the Philippines. In the 1970s, his bonsais were initially displayed at his home in Project 8, Quezon City and in the greenhouse in Jose Abad Santos Memorial School (JASMS) where he used to teach. In 1985, Meralco, the electric power distributor in Metro Manila, lent him a piece of land in Marikina City under a contract. Upon the contract’s expiration in 1990, Modesto Manglicmot moved his bonsais to the Manila Seedling Bank Garden in Quezon City. His bonsais were displayed there for almost ten years until the University of the Philippines, under the administration of President Emil Q. Javier, offered him a piece of land within the campus which he could develop into his own bonsai garden. Part of the April 4, 2000 memorandum of agreement between himself and the university is his donation of almost 175 bonsais from his own personal collection to this garden, and that all the bonsais to be grown in the bonsai garden shall be property of the university. Over the years, Mr. Manglicmot was able to grow hundreds of bonsais in this garden. At one point, the number of bonsais in the garden reached 400.
To help maintain the UP Bonsai Garden, Mr. Manglicmot employed the help his nephews Rupino “Rappy” and Manuel “Manny” Manglicmot, and another caretaker named Danny.
Since he the opening of the UP Bonsai Garden, Mr. Manglicmot has been offering Saturday Bonsai Classes for free to any one interested in learning how to grow and care for bonsais. The garden was also open to anyone who wants to appreciate the beauty of bonsais. Mr. Manglicmot did not charge an entrance fee. Events such as weddings, small parties, and book launches have also been held in the garden for a small fee, that it’s practically free.
On April 3, 2012, Modesto Manglicmot passed away. Since then, the management of the UP Bonsai Garden was fully transferred to the University of the Philippines. The university passed stricter rules and regulations for the use of the UP Bonsai Garden. Nowadays, in order to enter the garden, people must first secure an authorization from the UP Business Concessions Office. New rates have also been released for the rental of the different venues in the UP Bonsai Garden. Aside from these, the garden itself has also changed. The number of bonsais has been reduced to around 200 since some died and many were taken away by Mr. Manglicmot’s wife.
Usage & Rental
The UP Bonsai Garden can be rented for events such as book launches, weddings, debuts and other parties. The areas in the Bonsai Garden that can be rented are the following:
- Main Garden – P10,000
- Cogon Hall (small pavilion near the entrance) – P7,000
- Kakawati Hall (big pavilion) – P15,000
- Greenhouse – P15,000
The above rates are for the first 5 hours. For every succeeding hour, P1000 shall be added to the total rental fee.
The following are the steps in booking the UP Bonsai Garden:
- Get a form from the UP Business Office (BCO), near College of Fine Arts.
- Fill it out and have it signed by the caretaker. (3 copies all in all – one for person renting, one for caretaker, another for the BCO).
- Pay rental about a week before the event at the cashier’s office located in the shopping center. Return receipt to the Business Office.
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