Clark Freeport — The Department of Environment and Natural Resources has conducted the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Conference on Medicinal Forest Trees at the Clark Freeport Zone in Pampanga.

The conference — led by DENR's Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau — aimed to promote the use of available traditional medicine and other herbal products.

According to the DENR, the event served as a platform for crucial dialogue among researchers and key players to illuminate the medicinal value of forest trees while also responding to the call to preserve and conserve biodiversity.

"No single sector, private or public, can undertake the conservation of medicinal plants alone. The job requires a team effort, involving a wide range of disciplines and institutions," said the DENR in a statement.

The event gathered researchers, scientists and members of the academe from ASEAN members Indonesia and the Philippines as well as neighboring Asian countries India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan to share experiences, research results, and innovations on medicinal forest trees.

Meanwhile, University of the Philippines Los Baños Faculty Member Pastor Malabrigo Jr. emphasized that the country is underutilizing its plant resources as only 456 out of the about 3,500 tree species are known with medicinal value.