The nilad shrub, after which the City of Manila was named, will soon become a familiar sight in the city after the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) opened a nursery in Baseco, Tondo, to raise seedlings of the plant and mangrove. In his speech at the nursery’s opening last Tuesday, DENR Secretary Roy Cimatu said the regreening of coastal areas as part of the Manila Bay rehabilitation program will see the revival of the nilad plant, which vanished due to overpopulation and the public’s disregard for the environment. Cimatu said the development of Manila into the country’s major center of trade saw its waterways being encroached by modern vessels, affecting the nilad’s growth.

Santos, P. C. (2021, January 1). Nilad shrub returns to Manila's rivers. Daily Tribune, p. A8.