The pandemic locked down many and made them homebodies. But in 2022, married couple Celine and Dennis Murillo left home and spent more than a year on the road, traveling around the Philippines in a camper van they called Eli. They shared their awe at the wonders of the country on YouTube before Celine began a Tiktok series on the native trees and plants they saw on their journeys.
In this first part of her conversation with Howie Severino, Celine talks about the practicalities of life on the road – where did they shower and go to the toilet, did they ever feel unsafe, how did they earn a living?
Solving those issues enabled her to produce unique educational content about Philippine biodiversity, including showing live specimens of colorful species depicted in monochrome on the country’s money (“Saribuhay sa Salapi”).
Celine explains that focusing on the nation’s native species is part of her mission to “decolonize” the public’s view of nature.
In this first part of her conversation with Howie Severino, Celine talks about the practicalities of life on the road – where did they shower and go to the toilet, did they ever feel unsafe, how did they earn a living?
Solving those issues enabled her to produce unique educational content about Philippine biodiversity, including showing live specimens of colorful species depicted in monochrome on the country’s money (“Saribuhay sa Salapi”).
Celine explains that focusing on the nation’s native species is part of her mission to “decolonize” the public’s view of nature.
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NewsTranscript
00:00 Good day, Podmates! Howie Severino again, reminding you that long attention spans are smart.
00:08 Our guest today is a nature storyteller, but he could also be a national treasure of the TikTok generation.
00:19 In real life, he is a former teacher at a school that now teaches in Madla about native trees and wildlife.
00:28 No other than Celine Urillo. Good day to you, Celine!
00:34 Good day to you, Howie, and to our listeners.
00:38 Celine, your life is so colorful, judging from what you post online.
00:46 You were a former college teacher, as I mentioned, teaching at a college in Rizal Province.
00:54 And then one day, you and your husband, Dennis Murillo, almost lived in a camper van and traveled the country, or a big part of the country.
01:06 Why did you do that lifestyle?
01:10 Dennis and I love hiking, we love traveling, and we also love taking pictures.
01:19 And one of the things that happens when we're out, usually the best time is during dawn or dusk.
01:29 So we'd need to stay the whole day in one place.
01:33 And the idea of the camper van is because we wanted to stay in a place longer to get better photos.
01:42 And then your camper van has a name, Eli.
01:49 So why Eli? Why did you name your camper van Eli?
01:53 Eli is a Mitsubishi Delica, so from Delica, Eli.
01:59 Okay, before I ask about your subject matter, which is so broad and deep,
02:06 let's talk about your lifestyle first. You've been living out of your camper van, but you also have a house in Sorsogon Province, in Bicol.
02:16 So you have a base.
02:18 So how many days in the month are you living out of your camper van and traveling to different provinces?
02:28 The longest time we lived full-time in Eli's camper van was one and a half years.
02:36 So we only lived in Eli's for almost two years.
02:41 Then we went back here in Sorsogon.
02:44 So much of 2023, you lived in a camper van?
02:50 Yes, 2022 to 2023.
02:52 2022 to 2023. You did that for over one year.
02:57 So for most of our listeners, almost all of our listeners probably live in conventional homes.
03:07 They don't live on the road.
03:09 Maybe you're wondering how you manage this.
03:13 Of course, one of the first things that comes to mind is how do you manage the bathroom?
03:18 Do you have a bathroom in the camper van?
03:20 What do you do? How do you shower?
03:22 Just the basic daily personal obligations.
03:27 We have a portable toilet in Eli's.
03:33 But we don't use it as much as we can.
03:38 So we make use of public toilets, gas stations.
03:42 Then when we go to waterfalls or beach resorts, we also shower at the same time to save money.
03:51 So we don't shower every day.
03:54 Wow.
03:55 Well, anyway, you two are the only ones who are together.
03:59 So I guess you can just endure each other.
04:04 But that's really interesting for a lot of people.
04:09 For some people, they can do that for maybe a couple of days.
04:14 That kind of road trip.
04:18 Maybe a couple of days, maybe more than a year.
04:21 So are you camping, Celine?
04:27 Do you have tents and camping gear or do you just sleep in the car?
04:33 We just camp. We set up a tent when we go up the mountain.
04:37 What we do is we look for a parking lot.
04:42 So usually, in the area of the mountain, near the jump-off,
04:49 we ask for permission to park there.
04:53 So we stay there.
04:55 But Eli and I still sleep inside.
04:58 Okay. Another question that many may be wondering about is
05:04 how is your safety?
05:07 Are you afraid for your safety?
05:10 Do you have a pad?
05:12 Or do you really carefully choose everywhere you go?
05:15 What are your precautions?
05:19 When we were just starting, we didn't know how to discard yet.
05:25 Somewhere in Camarines Norte, we parked.
05:28 Then, the first thing we do is we say goodbye to the locals nearby.
05:34 So we said goodbye.
05:36 Eli closed the tent and set up the bed.
05:40 Then, someone knocked.
05:42 It was the same local that we said goodbye to.
05:46 He said he had company.
05:49 So we got nervous.
05:51 Then, he was one of the people from the barangay.
05:56 He told his friends that we were there.
05:59 His friends were worried.
06:02 So we decided to move to the barangay hall, which is nearby.
06:07 So from then, when we were in a new place,
06:11 the first place we went to was the barangay hall.
06:14 We asked if we could park there overnight.
06:18 We wanted to take pictures.
06:20 We just let them know.
06:23 That's the technique.
06:25 Okay. That's interesting.
06:27 After listening to you and watching your videos,
06:31 I think there are people who want to do it.
06:34 Is there anyone who wants to adopt that lifestyle?
06:39 I think there are some people who are doing it.
06:45 I heard about Jeep.
06:47 They're a Jeep instead of a van.
06:49 They're going around the country.
06:51 Sweet.
06:52 One final question about this lifestyle.
06:55 You sleep inside the car.
06:59 Is it hot?
07:01 I'm sure your car's air conditioner is not on the whole time.
07:06 In most places, you go to low lands.
07:10 It's hot.
07:12 How do you manage that?
07:14 How do you endure it?
07:16 We have a lot of portable fans around Ilay.
07:20 Maybe three to four.
07:22 Actually, four.
07:24 So that the ventilation is okay.
07:27 We also open the windows a little.
07:32 And Ilay has an exhaust fan in the roof.
07:35 So the air flow is okay.
07:40 Okay.
07:44 When you started,
07:48 you were both into visual media.
07:53 Photography and video.
07:57 And then you also did on-cam narration.
08:01 During the trips.
08:03 And when you're on the land,
08:07 you're already shooting.
08:09 You started shooting mostly landscapes.
08:14 It was more like a travel vlog.
08:19 But more recently, you transitioned to producing videos primarily on native species,
08:31 native trees,
08:33 and some native plants,
08:37 and native birds.
08:39 Yes.
08:40 Why?
08:42 I feel like it's deeper to get to know a place
08:48 when you know what's in there.
08:50 We often go to mountains.
08:55 Personally, it's more satisfying getting to know the place
08:59 when you know who's there and what's there.
09:03 And aside from that,
09:06 I really want to get to know Filipinos.
09:10 What we have.
09:12 A lot of Filipinos know--
09:16 Like you said, cherry blossoms.
09:18 Even if they haven't seen it, they know what it looks like.
09:21 Even if they haven't seen it in person.
09:23 But if you say malabulak or salingbogon,
09:25 they don't know that it's a native tree.
09:30 So, transitioning to creating short-form video
09:35 is our response to that.
09:37 To get to know ourselves,
09:40 to go toe-to-toe with foreign species
09:43 that are more well-known in mainstream media.
09:45 When did your interest in native trees and plants start?
09:54 Was it back when you were already shooting landscapes
09:57 and wildlife on the road?
10:00 Or this is a more recent interest?
10:03 It was at the same time when we were hiking.
10:07 When we see flowers or plants.
10:10 I was curious.
10:11 I was like, "Oh, there's something like this in the Philippines."
10:15 Since I'm very into decolonization,
10:22 I feel like that's a part of it.
10:24 Decolonizing biodiversity
10:26 by getting to know our local biodiversity,
10:29 our natural heritage.
10:31 And by doing that,
10:35 the way we approach,
10:38 for example, conservation would be more localized,
10:41 more appropriate in our country.
10:44 Because the way we've been doing it
10:47 is just based on what's been happening in other countries
10:51 that usually isn't applicable in the Philippines
10:55 because our weather system and climate are different.
10:59 So, I feel like by getting to know our local biodiversity,
11:04 it will grow.
11:07 And we'll be closer to nature
11:13 and it will reflect in our values and how we live our lives.
11:17 So, you said one of your goals is decolonization.
11:22 To decolonize.
11:24 What do you mean by that?
11:26 Decolonization.
11:30 Because much of the Philippines' history is colonialism.
11:36 Very rarely, what we know is pre-colonial.
11:41 And part of that,
11:43 when we were conquered by different countries,
11:47 they brought their plants too.
11:50 So, there are a lot of introduced species.
11:52 And because of that,
11:54 the Filipinos' acquaintances,
11:56 the introduced ones,
11:57 were appropriate,
11:58 our local plants were subsumed.
12:01 And through getting to know our local biodiversity,
12:07 I want the Filipinos to know that
12:10 we have a history before being colonized.
12:15 We have a heritage before these foreigners come into our country.
12:22 Yeah, because that's a cultural goal,
12:26 decolonizing.
12:28 At the same time, you have a conservation goal.
12:34 So, it's like you're doing it together.
12:37 You don't just want your viewers and listeners to know
12:41 that we had all of these plants and wildlife
12:46 even before foreigners came from Europe.
12:50 But you want these species to continue living
12:56 or to revive their numbers.
12:59 But in your tagline on TikTok,
13:06 you said you want to "mainstream Philippine biodiversity."
13:12 Why?
13:13 What do you mean by "mainstreaming Philippine biodiversity"?
13:17 Is there no mainstream now?
13:19 I feel, from observing our media,
13:25 compared to a few years ago,
13:28 we have more awareness about our local species,
13:31 our local biodiversity.
13:33 But I wouldn't say it's still in the mainstream
13:36 because people still recognize foreign species
13:42 better than our local species.
13:44 So, what I want to do is to make it part of our consciousness
13:50 that it's not new to us anymore.
13:54 That what I'm doing is not special anymore
13:59 because we all know our native trees and plants
14:05 in the same way that we know about cherry blossoms,
14:09 that we recognize lions, even though there are no lions in the Philippines,
14:13 that we recognize tigers.
14:15 And then you started a series on the species on our money.
14:22 You call that "saribuhay sa salapi."
14:26 I'm sure many of us don't know that we have native species of plants
14:33 and animals on our money.
14:37 We just see them there, but we don't really think about them.
14:42 First, the word "saribuhay,"
14:45 this is a translation of "biodiversity."
14:49 But what I hear a lot is "samutsaribuhay."
14:53 Did you coin this word or where did this word come from?
14:58 I didn't coin it.
15:00 At the ASEAN Center for Biodiversity,
15:03 I hear that they use "saribuhay"
15:06 for a Tagalog translation of "biodiversity."
15:10 So, from there, I also adopted it as "saribuhay."
15:15 Yeah, that's good.
15:17 It's shorter, it's catchier than "samutsaribuhay,"
15:20 which is a bit long.
15:22 I guess it's like calling biodiversity "biodive."
15:27 Biodiversity is a bit long.
15:30 So anyway, why did you coin the species on our money?
15:35 Because we all have barriers.
15:40 All of the barriers are held by Filipinos.
15:44 So I feel like it's a good entry point
15:47 to introduce our native species.
15:50 Because if we talk about it,
15:52 people would be like,
15:54 "Oh, there's a plant behind the five pesos,"
15:57 or "There's a plant behind the peso."
15:59 Accessible, it makes the concept of biodiversity
16:05 accessible to the general public
16:07 because money is everyone's concern.
16:11 So I thought about doing "saribuhay" in Salapi
16:16 to get the interest of the general public.
16:20 And your other feature is the "medinilla magnifica."
16:31 What's its common name?
16:34 "Kapa-kapa."
16:35 "Kapa-kapa" because it has a "kapa."
16:38 Yes.
16:39 I actually have a few of those in my garden.
16:42 Wow!
16:43 Yeah, it's endemic.
16:45 You said it's endemic.
16:47 Is it endemic or native?
16:48 Yes, it is endemic.
16:49 Endemic, meaning only in the Philippines.
16:52 Even in other countries,
16:54 in Southeast Asia, it's not there.
16:56 So it's really in the Philippines.
16:58 Well, I have them in my garden
17:02 not just because it's endemic,
17:04 but it's a beautiful plant.
17:07 Because with our money,
17:09 you can't see the color, obviously,
17:11 because it's in the coin.
17:13 But when you showed it,
17:15 the brilliant red or...
17:19 How would you describe the color?
17:21 It's not red.
17:22 It's like pinkish almost, right?
17:25 Red-pink, light red.
17:27 Vibrant pink.
17:28 Yes, vibrant.
17:30 And then, what you showed me,
17:32 it has "kapa."
17:33 My plants here don't have "kapa."
17:37 They're fairly young plants.
17:39 But I'm sure that was a revelation
17:46 for a lot of people.
17:48 What's the reaction
17:51 to those kinds of plants,
17:55 the ones you feature?
17:57 With "kapa," particularly,
17:59 I had comments where they said,
18:01 "I thought it was grapes."
18:02 "I thought it was a heart-shaped banana."
18:05 "I thought it was corn."
18:07 Those were the comments.
18:09 So, it's like an affirmation for me
18:12 to continue doing not just the series,
18:15 but also the other short-form content.
18:18 Because sometimes, we just hear it
18:20 and we don't know what it looks like.
18:22 Another example is Jade Vine.
18:24 Dennis and I thought
18:26 it was a common knowledge
18:28 that a lot of Filipinos know
18:30 what Jade Vine is.
18:31 When I posted "Saribuhay sa Salapina, limang piso,"
18:35 featuring Jade Vine,
18:37 a lot of people commented,
18:39 "I just saw that."
18:40 "There's something like that in the Philippines."
18:42 So, the awareness could be improved.
18:47 And I'm happy that my work
18:49 is contributing to that.
18:51 And then,
18:53 awareness is a bit low
18:55 because plants are not often seen
18:58 in gardens and resorts.
19:02 Is that right?
19:04 Well, I've seen these plants
19:09 because I'm fond of plants.
19:11 So, what ordinary people are saying is
19:15 it's hard for them to see these plants.
19:18 They're not that visible
19:20 compared to other kinds of plants.
19:22 Even though Jade Vine is beautiful.
19:24 The color of Jade Vine is different.
19:26 It's like turquoise.
19:28 The color is different.
19:30 It's unique.
19:32 And Medinilla has a certain uniqueness
19:35 in the plants' landscape.
19:38 That's true.
19:39 That's why I'm saying mainstreaming.
19:41 By mainstreaming,
19:43 by raising the awareness
19:44 that we have these kinds of animals and plants,
19:48 there's an increasing interest
19:50 to cultivate and to revive
19:54 and to multiply.
19:56 Because that's what's almost known
19:58 in the ornamental industry,
20:01 foreign species.
20:03 When in truth,
20:04 we have so many local species
20:06 that can be cultivated
20:08 that's perfect for gardens,
20:10 for landscaping.
20:12 Medinilla, Tayabac, and Jade Vine
20:14 are one of those.
20:16 Well, speaking of foreign species,
20:19 one foreign species of plants
20:22 that became popular
20:24 especially during the pandemic
20:26 is the Monstera.
20:28 We've seen in our social media feeds
20:31 that there are celebrities
20:33 who buy variegated Monstera
20:36 or other kinds of foreign species
20:40 for large amounts.
20:42 Maybe they don't know that it's foreign.
20:45 Or maybe that's why they value it
20:47 because it's imported.
20:49 You know, our colonial mentality
20:52 that imported things are more important
20:56 or more popular
20:58 with plants.
21:00 But you are emphasizing in your content
21:05 the value of natives.
21:07 And in fact,
21:09 they're even rarer.
21:11 You will see Monsteras
21:15 and Philodendrons
21:16 which is also a non-native plant.
21:18 You'll see them in a lot of garden stores.
21:20 Plant stores, you'll see them
21:22 in a lot of gardens in general.
21:24 But your other feature,
21:26 which is actually one of my favorite plants,
21:29 the Tibatib,
21:31 the Epipremnum pinnatum.
21:33 Pinnatum, yes.
21:35 And you said that it looks like Monstera.
21:40 But you pointed out the differences.
21:43 But one major difference is
21:46 you won't see Tibatib
21:48 in garden stores.
21:50 It's not often sold.
21:52 Because it's so...
21:54 Well, I don't know.
21:56 I don't know if it's common.
21:57 But for me, I see it so often.
21:59 Because I notice it when I'm hiking
22:01 or it grows on a lot of trees.
22:05 Even on coconut trees,
22:07 it grows.
22:08 But it's not desired
22:11 as a plant
22:13 if you compare it to Monstera.
22:16 Even if they're similar,
22:18 it looks like the Monstera deliciosa
22:21 in particular, right?
22:23 So I'm glad you featured the Tibatib.
22:27 And you actually unpacked it.
22:30 You kind of showed us the different parts of it.
22:34 But why is that?
22:36 It looks like a desired plant,
22:38 a foreign plant.
22:40 But this is native.
22:41 And I'm sure it could be much more affordable
22:43 if it's just sold.
22:45 And it's easy to propagate.
22:47 You don't have to poach it from the forest.
22:49 You can grow it from cuttings.
22:53 Right.
22:54 Why is it not as accessible?
22:57 It's not as desired as a garden plant?
23:02 Maybe it's connected to what we were talking about earlier
23:07 about the colonial mentality,
23:09 that foreign is better.
23:11 And also, Monstera has a good PR.
23:14 It got a good PR,
23:17 it's a very beautiful plant.
23:20 And the Tibatib is also good.
23:22 I think the Tibatib just needs
23:25 a better PR marketing.
23:28 And as you said,
23:30 it's easier to cultivate.
23:32 And I'm sure it will be more affordable
23:34 if it's sold in the market.
23:37 But in the provinces,
23:39 I've seen it used to decorate events.
23:43 So instead of plastic decorations
23:49 in the schools in the province,
23:51 they use it to decorate the stage.
23:53 You're right.
23:55 It's good to use it as decor.
23:59 And it's so abundant in a lot of places
24:03 that it's not threatened.
24:06 If you use it as an ornamental,
24:11 it won't threaten its existence.
24:16 Unlike other plants
24:18 that you can only see in other places.
24:22 And it's also a way of raising awareness about them.
24:26 Also, it's expensive to use imported
24:29 if you're just going to decorate a stage,
24:32 as opposed to something like the Tibatib
24:35 because the imported ones are beautiful,
24:37 like the Monstera.
24:39 I mentioned earlier
24:42 the scientific name of the Tibatib,
24:45 Epipremnum pinnatum.
24:47 And you make it a point
24:50 to say the scientific names
24:52 of these various native species,
24:57 especially the trees and plants.
25:01 Why is it important for you to do that?
25:03 Because there might be some viewers
25:06 who will react that
25:07 "Oh, Celine is just saying those things."
25:10 "Why don't they just say Tibatib?"
25:13 "Why do they add a long name?"
25:16 "Epipremnum pinnatum? It's hard to remember."
25:19 "Celine is just like a teacher."
25:21 So why do that?
25:23 There are two things.
25:26 First,
25:29 while local names like Tibatib
25:33 are important culturally
25:37 and important to the conversation,
25:39 it's important that we know them.
25:42 It's important that we have names
25:44 for these plants in our local language.
25:47 But the way with local names,
25:50 sometimes, in one local name,
25:52 the individual species clumps.
25:56 For example, in the Ticlin,
25:58 we call a lot of ebony rails "Ticlin."
26:03 But there are many different types of Ticlin.
26:07 There's barred rail, there's legged rail.
26:12 I indicate the scientific name
26:16 to indicate to a specific species
26:19 to make it more accurate, more science-based.
26:22 So that's the second reason
26:25 why I mention also the scientific name.
26:28 Sometimes it's confusing
26:30 if you just say the local name.
26:32 Later, for example,
26:34 I say that a plant is edible,
26:38 but there's a local name in a place
26:41 that has the same local name
26:43 and the fruit is poisonous.
26:46 So indicating the scientific name
26:49 will be more accurate and more specific.
26:54 Because there's really only one scientific name
26:58 for a species worldwide, right?
27:00 That's part of the science of taxonomy.
27:03 Whereas common names,
27:04 for each province, the name might be different.
27:06 You're right.
27:07 So it can be confusing,
27:08 and it can even be dangerous.
27:12 If you say that a plant is edible,
27:17 but it's poisonous in other provinces.
27:25 It can actually be misleading
27:26 in terms of the advice you give about particular plants
27:29 if you only go by the common names.
27:32 Because in each place,
27:33 the common names are different.
27:36 So I noticed that your TikTok,
27:46 of course, you started it long after
27:50 you started your YouTube channel, right?
27:54 Your trip with Dennis.
27:56 But was it your decision
27:58 that you were the only one doing TikTok,
28:01 not me?
28:03 Because on your YouTube channel,
28:06 he was like your co-presenter, co-host,
28:09 like your real partnership there.
28:12 But here, these native species
28:17 that you feature on TikTok,
28:18 was it really only you who presented them?
28:21 We didn't really talk about it,
28:24 just me.
28:25 It just evolved throughout.
28:27 Because in our long-form videos on YouTube,
28:31 for you, it's the landscape,
28:33 I'm really the one in the wildlife.
28:35 So when the episode is about wildlife,
28:38 I'm the one who presents it.
28:40 When it's landscape, it's him.
28:42 So when we decided to do TikTok,
28:44 it was like,
28:45 "Okay, you're the only one who will speak."
28:49 At first, actually,
28:50 I wasn't included in the videos.
28:53 The format of the video was more on
28:55 Geo BBC Earth.
29:00 For example, the birds.
29:03 I'll just do the birds and do a voiceover.
29:05 Then later on, we got feedback that
29:08 you should show more, explain more.
29:12 Then I started showing myself with the plant
29:16 or with the animal,
29:17 speaking in Tagalog.
29:18 That's when the views increased.
29:22 Why do you think so?
29:24 I think because me being side by side
29:27 or being in that location makes it more relatable.
29:31 So in a way, it's like,
29:32 I'm them, I'm the viewer.
29:35 It's more accurate.
29:38 There's a sense of comparison.
29:40 "Okay, that's what it looks like when you touch it.
29:42 It's that big.
29:44 It's actually growing that big."
29:47 So they can visualize the plant's real appearance
29:50 because I'm there for comparison.
29:53 I think that's also one of the special characteristics
29:58 of my video because I'm actually with the plant
30:01 or with the bird or with the animal.
30:05 Your videos are a production.
30:10 It's produced.
30:11 In other words, you have a shoot.
30:15 I presume that's Dennis, right?
30:19 Because the camera is moving,
30:20 so much of it is handheld.
30:23 And then it's edited.
30:27 And then you have post-production techniques
30:31 that my fellow TV viewers will notice.
30:37 I suppose you just develop those skills over time
30:41 because you have a YouTube channel.
30:44 But it takes time.
30:47 We know how hard it is to produce a good video.
30:52 So you spend a lot of time doing this.
30:55 Yeah.
30:56 But compared to our long-form videos on YouTube,
30:59 this is more easeful.
31:00 It's easier to do.
31:03 On YouTube, there are a lot of edits.
31:07 It takes two to three days to make one video.
31:10 But here on short-form content,
31:12 in half a day, we can film two to four videos.
31:17 And then we edit it on the phone.
31:20 A few hours for one video.
31:23 And then, unlike other angles,
31:25 we have a lot of phones.
31:27 But we just cut the script
31:30 and then we just re-edit the camera movement
31:33 so that the setup looks like a multi-camera.
31:36 Yeah.
31:39 So Dennis is the one who shoots?
31:42 Yeah.
31:43 He's the one who moves the camera.
31:44 Yeah, okay.
31:45 And then, in your extra content,
31:48 you always say,
31:50 "Don't grab without permission."
31:52 You said, "If you want to help, share this video,
31:55 but don't grab without permission."
31:57 Is that...
31:58 Do you have to say that
32:00 because there was a trend
32:02 where people were using your video without permission?
32:07 Yeah, it came up
32:09 because when I was just starting to make videos,
32:13 there was an account on Instagram
32:15 who posted one of my videos
32:18 and got a lot more views than me.
32:21 Than the original upload.
32:24 Honestly, it was just an ego response.
32:28 As an artist, I wanted the views and the credit.
32:32 But later on,
32:33 I deleted it from my recent videos.
32:37 But Dennis said,
32:38 "No, put it back because it's a call to action.
32:41 We don't ask for others."
32:44 In that simple way, by sharing that video,
32:47 they will help continue my work.
32:51 Well, speaking of which,
32:54 you call this your work,
32:55 but is it a livelihood also?
32:57 I mean, your call to action is not to donate or to sponsor.
33:02 It's not to just eat.
33:04 So, how do you fund these trips and this production?
33:10 I mean, if you're both on the road,
33:12 you're spending on gasoline,
33:14 and then your time,
33:16 you resign from your teaching job,
33:18 and Dennis is with you this whole time.
33:20 I'm sure people are wondering about this very practical concern.
33:24 How do you get by?
33:26 How do you finance these trips?
33:29 Well, now, the main source of our livelihood
33:33 would be our freelance work.
33:36 I contribute to magazines.
33:37 I also write.
33:38 Then, we apply for grants to create these videos,
33:44 these content.
33:45 Then, content creations for several biodiversity
33:52 and nature-related organizations.
33:54 So, through my body of work,
33:56 this is what my portfolio is.
33:59 So, it's important to share the original video
34:03 so that future funders can see that,
34:06 "Oh, okay. This is how it is."
34:08 So, just by sharing the video,
34:10 they can help us get more funds
34:14 so that the work can continue.
34:15 Okay. So, you get sponsors and then grants,
34:19 but do you monetize these videos?
34:22 I know on YouTube, they share
34:25 and they share in revenue,
34:27 but TikTok, no.
34:29 TikTok earns from your content
34:32 and from everyone else's content.
34:33 Whatever they earn, it's only theirs.
34:36 Yes.
34:37 So, our monetized platforms are YouTube and Facebook.
34:43 Instagram and TikTok are not monetized.
34:46 I see.
34:48 I'm sure many are asking you,
34:50 and I noticed that many ask you for advice.
34:55 You're a storyteller,
34:56 but you don't present yourself as an expert, right?
35:03 Like to give expert advice on plant care.
35:08 I know many are asking,
35:10 "What is the thing that is planted here,
35:12 in the subdivision?
35:14 What can we plant?"
35:15 You do give advice,
35:19 but it's not that technical.
35:21 Yes.
35:24 So, you said that I present myself as a storyteller.
35:27 I never claim to be an expert
35:30 or a botanist or an ecologist,
35:32 although I work with a lot of them
35:35 and my work is built on their work.
35:37 I consult many ecologists and botanists or mythologists
35:43 to make my work more factual and accurate.
35:47 When they get those requests,
35:51 if I can't do it,
35:53 I refer them to the experts.
35:56 There was one person who asked what to do with
36:01 her trees that had an infection.
36:05 They were native trees.
36:06 I said, "I don't know what to do."
36:08 You can contact Dr. Pat Malabrigo,
36:10 who is an expert in native trees.
36:14 I refer them to the experts.
36:18 For people who are interested in native trees and plants
36:23 and want to use their knowledge to plant,
36:29 how can they get started?
36:31 I would say, read up.
36:36 Educate themselves about our native trees.
36:41 Second, join the Philippine Native Trees Enthusiast Facebook group.
36:48 In that group, there are experts as well as enthusiasts
36:52 who have proof of concept that they were able to create
36:56 this kind of setup where native trees are planted.
36:59 There are seedling assorts.
37:03 There are nursery owners and growers in that group.
37:06 They can learn a lot from that group.
37:11 I think that would be the next step if they want to plant more native trees.
37:17 In one of your videos, you also said you have to know your environment.
37:20 You need to know the soil you have on your property.
37:28 Species matching.
37:31 Species matching and then the importance of having diversity.
37:38 But regarding the environment, that's not easy.
37:43 How do you know the quality of your soil?
37:46 You take a soil sample and you send it to a lab.
37:49 Can you tell from just looking at the soil
37:56 if a tree's species is suitable for it?
38:01 Based from what I've learned from the experts,
38:05 you can know what plants are growing by actually observing
38:11 what's already there.
38:13 That's the first step.
38:15 Do a survey of the plants that's already growing there.
38:18 For sure, they're the ones that are okay with that location.
38:24 It's a matter of determining what's native and not native.
38:29 From that survey of existing plants,
38:33 you can then compare the two genuses.
38:37 You can compare them.
38:40 I think that's a technical question
38:45 that's better answered by an actual expert.
38:49 In your other videos, you talk about not just native trees,
38:54 but even some species which are not native.
38:58 In particular, mahogany, which you can see in many places.
39:05 That's even more common than a lot of native species,
39:09 than most native species.
39:11 You tell your viewers that it's not.
39:15 It's not really even good for the environment.
39:20 You said that it's not good for native wildlife,
39:26 it's not good for other native plant and tree species, etc.
39:34 What's your advice?
39:35 If they're already there, cut them down?
39:38 It's a tricky question.
39:42 Even cutting down trees would require you to ask for a permit,
39:51 apply for a permit, so that they can be cut down.
39:54 I wouldn't say that you should cut them down right away
39:58 because they might be still in the process of growing.
40:02 They might still have a long way to go.
40:05 I would say, look at other people who have done,
40:11 who have transformed a mahogany plantation
40:14 into a Philippine native tree arboretum.
40:21 For example, the Nabuntaran Native Tree Enthusiast in Davao de Oro.
40:27 Their arboretum used to be a mahogany plantation.
40:31 In just a few years, they were able to transform it into an arboretum of native trees.
40:37 People who want to do the same can ask advice from them
40:43 because these people have already done it in actuality.
40:48 They could give better advice on how to do the same.
40:55 That's why the number of mahogany, which experts and storytellers like yourself say now,
41:04 are not good for the environment, is because the government distributed them.
41:08 They were part of a government reforestation program.
41:13 In retrospect, it seems wrong.
41:20 I'm sure you see a lot of problems aside from the splendor of the Philippine environment and biodiversity.
41:31 Beyond that, even sins.
41:35 Do you ever get angry?
41:38 I mean, you're always smiling in your videos and you're always upbeat.
41:41 I'm sure you see a lot of people who are angry and angry.
41:48 Do you ever feel tempted to criticize?
41:52 Like, really call out those who are at fault for accountability?
42:02 Or you don't feel that's part of your role?
42:06 I think it's part of my role as a storyteller to ask for accountability
42:13 and demand better services from our government.
42:17 Especially those in charge of environmental matters.
42:22 But at the same time, I think it would be more productive to offer solutions.
42:28 Like, for example, the problem with mahogany is because the body of knowledge
42:35 when that program was applied or started, when that program started,
42:40 it wasn't updated to what we know now.
42:43 So what I'm trying to say is the responsibility of the governing bodies
42:49 to update their knowledge based on what we know now.
42:53 And what we know is the right trees for reforestation and forest regeneration
42:57 is always native trees.
42:59 So, I think if I will call out the DNR or governing bodies or LGUs,
43:06 it's in the line of update your body of knowledge, update your information,
43:11 because it's available.
43:12 I know that.
43:13 So, you should know that it's part of your mandate to update your knowledge
43:20 so that it can help and serve the environment and people better.
43:25 I often hear from friends and acquaintances that,
43:34 "I also want to be a plantito, I want to plant and harvest,
43:39 but I don't have a green thumb.
43:41 I don't have a green thumb.
43:43 I just die, my hands are hot."
43:45 You hear this a lot, right?
43:46 Is the green thumb God-given or what?
43:51 Success or effectiveness as a propagator or gardener,
44:00 as a plant caretaker.
44:02 What is that?
44:03 Is a green thumb a gift or is it earned?
44:08 Learned.
44:09 I think there are really talented people who grow plants,
44:14 but from experience, you can learn from them.
44:20 Like everything else, you can learn from them,
44:22 but there are people who are more natural,
44:27 it's easier for them to grow things.
44:30 But if you want, there's a way.
44:34 Okay.
44:35 More recently, I don't know if this is really more recently,
44:40 but you have recent content about birds.
44:43 For example, one I saw recently was about the northern indigo band kingfisher.
44:53 It's a beautiful bird, right?
44:55 And it's native.
44:59 Is it endemic?
45:00 Endemic.
45:01 Only in the Philippines?
45:02 Yes, endemic.
45:03 Yes, only in the Philippines.
45:04 It's small, but because you got it in video and portrait,
45:10 you can really see its beauty.
45:12 So how different is it filming birds compared to documenting plants, trees?
45:21 Because I know there are documentarians,
45:24 there are photographers who really specialize in birds.
45:27 And you and your husband have been doing this.
45:32 Maybe much longer than what I've seen.
45:35 So how would you compare that?
45:37 Because are they very different from each other?
45:40 Is it much more difficult documenting birds compared to documenting trees and plants which won't fly away?
45:47 Yes, they're very different.
45:50 That's why I tell people that I don't put out bird content as often
45:55 because they're harder to film than plants that don't fly when you get close.
46:00 And also, Dennis and I,
46:02 some photographers and videographers use supplementary techniques.
46:10 For example, they use calls to get closer to the bird.
46:14 And we don't do that because it can disrupt the natural behavior of the bird.
46:23 So we just film what we see.
46:27 That's what we document.
46:29 That's why it's harder because you know where the plant is,
46:35 so you can go back and forth.
46:36 And the bird, for example, it just goes out to the rocks,
46:41 and when you come back, it's gone.
46:43 So you don't have content.
46:44 It's just for fun.
46:46 So trees and plants are more deliberate,
46:50 so the filming is more purposeful.
46:52 But when it comes to birds and other wildlife,
46:56 it's more about chance.
46:59 It's really based on chance.
47:00 Well, of course, your mission is different from other birders.
47:08 Because there are birders, and I know many birders.
47:10 They really have a goal to see a particular species,
47:15 especially those that come from other countries.
47:18 But you, your style, whatever you see,
47:21 it's more of a chance encounter rather than you're looking for the Northern Indigo Band,
47:28 Kingfisher.
47:29 Because you've only been in the Philippines for two weeks,
47:32 you really need to see that.
47:33 That's why you will play a recording of that bird so it will be attracted.
47:39 For example, that Kingfisher, it was just an accident, right?
47:44 Did you really look for it or you just saw it?
47:48 We know that there's one in the area of Baluzan Lake,
47:52 but we didn't look for it.
47:54 It just happened to be there.
47:55 So we just filmed it.
47:57 Okay. One final question, Celine.
48:02 What is the most important lesson that you've learned
48:09 from what you do as a nature storyteller?
48:16 The most important lesson that I've learned is that
48:21 when you know something,
48:24 you tend to love and fight for the well-being or the welfare of that thing.
48:36 And that's the reason why I do this,
48:39 because I hope that by getting to know more about our local biodiversity,
48:44 our local trees and birds and animals,
48:47 the Filipinos would be moved to remember our deep connection to the natural world.
48:55 They will love it more and they will be called to protect it and advocate for it.
49:01 Okay. That's wise and a good message to end on.
49:07 Maraming salamat sa 'yo, Celine Murillo,
49:11 TikTok nature storyteller. Mabuhay ka!
49:14 Salamat.
49:16 Salamat, Howie.
49:18 Hi, I'm Howie Severino.
49:20 Check out the Howie Severino Podcast.
49:22 New episodes will stream every Thursday.
49:24 Listen for free on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and other platforms.
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