With their vibrant colors and enduring beauty, the mussaenda and gumamela flowers are living testaments to the spirit of the tropics. Known as “queens of Philippine gardens,” they are symbols of beauty and femininity, commonly cultivated in many varieties named to honor women. Notably, two cultivated varieties (cultivars) are named after National Scientist Dr. Dolores Ramirez, who has dedicated her life’s work to the agricultural sciences.
A sprout that grew lush flowers
Born and raised in Calamba, Laguna, Ramirez studied agriculture at the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), understanding she would become one of the few women in a male-dominated field. In this institution, she worked on plant breeding and completed a thesis on the nature of lodging in rice, which is when the plant’s stem permanently bends down.
Through her diligence and dedication, she obtained worthwhile opportunities in the US. She briefly acknowledged the difficult reality of being a woman of color working in STEM abroad; however, she did not experience discrimination in her work. After working in cytogenetics and biochemical genetics abroad, she returned to UPLB, teaching students and doing research at the College of Agriculture.
The flower’s adventitious blooms
One of Ramirez’s notable works is her pioneering research on the macapuno. While it is a popular ingredient of Filipino cuisine, such as in desserts like halo-halo, it is actually a genetic mutation of the coconut seed’s endosperm. She identified how a certain recessive gene affected its development, giving it its soft and jelly-like texture.
Her studies shed light on the genetic and developmental origins of the phenomenon, which led to the use of embryo cultures of macapuno-bearing trees. This allowed the mass propagation of the macapuno coconuts—something difficult to achieve with regular seed germination.
While there is no doubt that Ramirez’s research has greatly benefited Philippine agriculture, she recounts moments of uncertainty. She recalled co-developing a sterile hybrid of the mallard and muscovy ducks with promising meat quality, only to find that local demand was lacking. Taiwanese researchers eventually adopted their work to fill their own market needs, making it much more beneficial to a country that views duck meat as a commodity. While their work was still successful, she expressed that “It would have been great if my work was to the benefit of the Philippines and [my fellow countrymen].”
A flower that continues to bloom
Ramirez’s career is also marked by numerous accolades, including her recognition as a National Scientist in 1998. As an active member of the Agricultural Sciences Division of the National Academy of Science and Technology, she was even featured on the cover of Vogue Philippines’ August 2023 issue as one of “four extraordinary women of experience and expertise”. She shares that “these things just come to you as time passes by [as you work in your field].”
For her, lifelong learning is essential. “You never stop learning, ‘di ba?,” she quips, emphasizing that one simply does not stop gaining knowledge just because they have reached a certain point in their career. She expounds that even if she is well-respected in her field, what she knows as a scientist is but a fraction of the entire body of knowledge, and that there is much more to know out there. During her time as a professor, she shared that learning can even come from her own students’ questions. “[While I may not be able to fully answer them], I get to learn something new in the process.”
Her legacy is reflected not only in the cultivars that bear her name but more so in the flourishing landscape of Philippine agriculture and science. Like the queens of the garden, Dr. Dolores Ramirez has bloomed with remarkable grace and resilience, thriving in spaces where only a few women before her dared to grow.
Her contributions to plant genetics and agricultural sciences have not just adorned the landscape of Philippine achievement. They have fundamentally enriched it, bearing fruit in the form of improved livelihood, comprehensive knowledge, and a foundation that continues to inspire the new generation of scientists. In the gardens of Philippine science, she remains ever in bloom—proof that true beauty lies in a life dedicated to learning, service, and the pursuit of knowledge.
This article was published in The LaSallian‘s October 2025 issue. To read more, visit bit.ly/TLSOct2025.
