It was both a joyful and sad experience seeing this plant for the first time at the Singapore Botanic Gardens. By one of the park gates, I first saw this magnificent tree with bold, white flowers seemingly ruby-studded in its center, with a highly contrasting and complex arrangement of stamens and stigma. I was happy to see it but also a little sad about first encountering it abroad, considering that this plant is endemic to the Philippines. Fortunately, the pandemic plant craze has resulted in increased appreciation for our local flora, and juvenile trees are now a common sight in gardens across the Philippines.