Household woods in the Philippines
There are thousands of different trees in the Philippines. Very few, however, were used as furniture and became household names for woodworkers, artisans, and families. These woods are known because of their high density, unique patterns, and coloration making them not only a piece of furniture but also a piece of art that lived in every household in the Philippines. The following below are some of the popular wood names/trees in the Philippines that have been used for generations:
Acacia (Acacia confusa)
Acacia or the variant Acacia confusa is a type of hardwood native to the Philippines and other South East Asian countries. It grows up to 40 feet in 4-6 years and could thrive in varying climate conditions, mostly in a tropical climate. Because of its fast-growing quality and hardiness, many countries have set sustainable farms for it to continuously grow and help local ecology.
As a wood, it is known for its hardwood qualities and appearance. It is high-heat resistant, water-resistant, and has naturally occurring antibacterial properties. Its pattern offers very unique and varying graining and is light to dark brown colours making it a versatile wood that could blend well with any furniture in homes.
Narra (Pterocarpus indicus)
A very popular wood known by everyone in the Philippines and also the “National Tree” of the Philippines. It is sometimes referred to as the “lifetime wood” for the older generation because Narra furniture ends up becoming a family heirloom that lasts many generations. Unlike Acacia, it is a slow-growing but robust tree making it rare and very expensive.
Its wood ranges from rose to red in color and is resistant to termites. The flowers and leaves are known to contain flavonoids and used as anti-inflammatory tea in older times. Nowadays because of its rarity, Narra is considered a protected tree in the Philippines.
Kamagong (Diospyros discolor)
It is often referred to as “iron wood” because of its dark brown to dark purple/green color when it is mature. The term “iron” also comes from its property being a wood that is very hard and with high density, making it a “premium” wood in martial arts equipment such as bokken (Japanese wooden sword) and arnis (Philippine eskrima).
Tanguile (Shorea negrosensis)
A tree with a long and cylindrical buttress bole, the Tanguile has a reddish-brown wood that is often called Philippine mahogany among other variants. It is a semi-hardwood that is often used as framing, flooring, furniture, and stairs.
Molave (Vitex parviflora)
A tree some referred to as the “oldest” used in woodworking, Molave wood (alongside Narra and Tanguile) were used as coffins in ancient burial pits (AD140±390) found in Surigao Del Norte (Barretto-Tesoro, 2003). Its tree is endemic to the rest of the Philippines islands and could be found in open forests in low altitude areas.
The tree reaches over 35 meters in height with a bole of at least 20 meters. Its wood is dense, with light to golden brown in color, and has a fine texture graining. Leaves are mostly used as livestock fodder and wood extracts in earlier times were used to treat ailments such as diarrhea, muscle pains, dropsy, and jaundice.
It used to be the case that most of the trees above are easily available in the Philippines. However, in the past 2 decades due to lack of education and conservation, their numbers decreased and became protected to maintain their habitat in the Philippines. For us in Woods & Crafts, we only use acacia as it is a highly sustainable tree and has been used by our artisans for decades. We work closely with our artisans and they care for the woods they work with as it is their livelihood first and foremost. Our acacia woods are gathered from local sustainable farms from Luzon and Visayas islands.
G, Barretto., (2003/12/01). Burial Goods in the Philippines: An Attempt to Quantify Prestige Values. https://repository.kulib.kyoto-u.ac.jp/dspace/bitstream/2433/53768/1/KJ00000434305.pdf